


Little Changes

by emcee857, Kash_LOL



Category: Life Is Strange (Video Game)
Genre: Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Angst, Arcadia Bay is a normal town, Confrontations, Elope/Run away, F/F, Falling In Love, Fear of Death, Flashbacks, Fluff, Future, Mark Jefferson was a regular teacher who moved on years ago, No Dark Room either, No Rachel/Frank relationship at any point in this timeline, Physical Abuse, Rachel and Chloe did elope but eventually returned, Romance, Suicidal Thoughts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-20
Updated: 2018-09-13
Packaged: 2019-03-21 17:41:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 62,006
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13746018
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/emcee857/pseuds/emcee857, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kash_LOL/pseuds/Kash_LOL
Summary: Chloe Price and Rachel Amber have been married for many years. They eloped together in the early 2010s but eventually returned to Arcadia Bay in order to start a family.Their youngest child, Elizabeth 'Liz' Amber is 16 years old. She is preparing for another year at Blackwell, but soon finds out that a few little changes can make a huge difference in her life.





	1. The new girl

It was past 8 o’clock in the morning. There was a rather curious lack of sunlight coming through the window of her room, and she was still asleep.

_*An alarm clock goes off*_

The sound startled her more than usual. The lack of light in her room was not helping her to wake up. Her vision remained decidedly blurry for a good few minutes, but soon reality felt like it was hitting her with a bat, it gave her a headache.

Someone downstairs was shouting. “ _Liz, wake up! Your Mom is gonna take you to school today, so get up kiddo!”_

Lisa groaned in response, inaudible to her parents, but it made her more attached to her bed. Last night’s studying had left its mark. She had found herself drowned in books and notes here and there, trying to remember everything from the last schoolyear whilst preparing for the next.

There was a note posted to the side of her bed, apparently a reminder for future-Lisa.

_“Wake up now, come on Liz!”_

_“_ I really hate the past-Lisa. _Period”,_ she said to herself, whilst trying to lift her head off the pillow, and, at the same time, to get up and get ready for the world that was waiting for her to emerge from her room.

While getting up, she stretched her back and tried to recognize the room that surrounded her. It was, as always, her own room, simple, but sufficient.

She had slept in this 4x4 room almost her whole life. Nearly every morning, she always found some _new-but-not-new_ thing. Maybe it was the red flannel shirt that her parents gave to her for her last birthday. Maybe it was the old faded Firewalk t-shirt that she discovered in a box while searching for a DVD in the attic. Or maybe it was the feeling of a new day, even though it was the first day of class and she was spacing out in her room when she should be dressing and all that. She decided to leave other thoughts for later.

She walked to her wardrobe, sighed at the mess that the closet’s doors kept in place. She thought for a moment, and decided against picking her classic tank top with grey hoodie and jeans. Instead, she decided on a more colorful option. Her new red flannel shirt, her favorite black skinny jeans and a pair of Chuck Taylors. For a brief moment she considered what accessories would fit with this combination, and chose a small light-blue pearl earring. Finally, she put her hair in a side-braid.

Now, she was ready for the world.

 

*******

 

When she opened the door, a very strong smell of waffles and coffee assaulted her nose, making her drool and feeling hungry. Suddenly, she heard a distinct humming in a sing-song manner whilst a Frank Sinatra song was playing in the background.

The groan of her hungry stomach brought her senses back to earth and she walked down the stairs. When she reached the bottom, she saw a combination of hair. Blue streaks with blonde hair. Obviously, her moms, dancing and kissing as quite usual.

“Such a good dancer, lady Price”, Rachel said while intertwining fingers with her wife.

“As good as you taught me, Rach”, Chloe responded whilst leaning down to kiss Rachel softly on her lips. “What would I be without you, Chloe?” Rachel still loved it whenever Chloe blushed a little.

“Hi mom, hi momma, what’s for breakfast?”

“Good morning Liz, you’re up at last”, Rachel said to their daughter. “Did you sleep well? Are you excited for the new school year? Mom’s going to take you there after breakfast”.

“I’m ready, momma, and where’s Billy?”

“Your brother left almost half an hour ago, one of his friends from the football team picked him up, you’ll probably see him once you get to school”.

Lisa walked to the kitchen, and much to her frustration saw Chloe trying to light a cigarette. “You know I don’t like that, mom”, she said whilst helping herself to a waffle, a bowl of her favorite brand of cornflakes and one of the scrambled eggs mom Chloe had prepared. She was hungry alright.

“I’m trying to quit, Lizzie, I really am. I already stopped smoking weed, give me some time, please?” With a badly hidden sigh of frustration, Chloe put the cigarette back in its pack.

Rachel walked over to Chloe and Lisa. She kissed Chloe on her right cheek and said she was going to head to work. Chloe asked Lisa to give momma Rachel a kiss, which she did.

“What are you going to do today, babe?” Rachel asked. Chloe thought for a second, and responded. “First, I’m going to drop Lizzie off at school, and then I think I’ll be working for a bit trying to fix that old car in the garage, it's almost done. Then, I’ll get some groceries and prepare you all a nice dinner tonight, how does that sound?”

“Perfect”, Rachel said. She bade her wife and daughter goodbye and left the house.

Not much later, Chloe was driving Lisa to school. “Mom, can I get a car?” Lisa asked.

“Your brother asked the same question this morning”, Chloe responded. “Momma and I will discuss it soon, we’ll look at the options, I promise.”

“Thanks mom. And also, what about the part-time job at grandma Joyce’s diner we talked about? I’d like to make some money so I can buy some things”.

“Sure Liz, I’ll call Joyce when I get back home. I think it’s a really good idea. And your grandma is going to love seeing you more often.”

“She can tell me more stories about you and momma Rachel, I know a lot about your youth already, mom.”

Chloe let out a deep sigh. Joyce sure was doing a fine job undermining her as a parent by telling the kids all about her rebellious years. ‘ _That must be karma_ ’, she thought. David sure thought it was funny seeing her and Rachel as parents dealing with two increasingly grown children with minds of their own.

“Alright, we’re here Liz, be a good girl today, promise?” Chloe said to her daughter.

“See you later mom”. Chloe heard the car door close with a loud thud and saw Lisa running towards her friends.

 

*******

 

Lisa had no trouble at all spotting her best friends Emily and Tara. She embraced them both and they talked about the schedule for the day. Emily pointed out there was a new math teacher. Mr. Henderson had suddenly retired and Blackwell High had been quick to hire a new teacher from out of town.

Tara added that she had heard the new teacher was actually someone who had grown up in Arcadia Bay and had left years ago. But now he was back, with his wife and daughter.

“I think that’s her”, Emily said whilst pointing at a dark-haired girl standing near the entrance. Lisa looked in the direction that Emily had pointed out and before she knew it had let out an audible _“wow”_. Emily and Tara looked at Lisa and wondered what was going on. Lisa just shrugged it off, and replied _“nothing”_.

The bell rang and all the students started to go inside the main building, each of them heading for their first class of the school year. Lisa double-checked her schedule. Chemistry. She sighed, chemistry was difficult, and of course that was where she had to start. She walked past the office of the principal, Mrs. Grant, and turned right towards chemistry class.

Grandma Joyce had told her that her mother Chloe had been a genius in this subject, but Lisa was completely sure that unlike her mom, she was not a genius at chemistry. Not even after considering the effort she put into it.

But she was in luck today, this first class was all about presentations and future themes, telling the students what to expect in the coming schoolyear. Nothing fancy, maybe some new thing here and there. No big deal. She could manage this kind of class all day.

Time passed quickly, the bell rang and everybody was out in the hallway in no time. She saw some football players, easily identifiable because of their jackets, some _‘high class’_ girls, and plenty of other students.

She always tried to not _‘stand out’_ in the crowd, to keep a place for herself in school. Tara and Emily had been her friends since primary school, so there was a bond of friendship that went back quite some time. In their group of three friends, Lisa felt free.

The three agreed to walk towards the cafeteria. Lisa's breakfast in the morning had been rich, but she could sure use some more food. Carrying her books in her bag, she started the trip to the beloved food. Well, not _that_ beloved to be honest, it was still cafeteria food after all, but better than nothing.

 

***

 

Her vision got blurry for a few seconds, and she almost bumped into one of the football players. She felt like she had almost fallen asleep again. Then, after ending this mini _‘spacing out’_ episode, she spotted that girl again. The one she had seen outside the school, the one her friends had told her about, though only the rumors they had heard. The girl had black hair in what was an interesting attempt at a side braid, covering part of her face.

Lisa would usually just go back to her business, but there was something different about this girl. Something that caught her eye. And Lisa didn't understand what it was or why it was happening.

And, before she realized she was staring like a creep, the girl turned her face towards her. Their eyes met. The mysterious girl's eyes were a really powerful dark green. Like emeralds. Their crossed looks were like two snipers' scopes shining at each other in a bright sun. Time seemed to be slowing, how convenient.

Lisa's focus remained like this for quite a few seconds. But then, she totally messed up by accidentally bumping into her friend Tara, causing her to drop her coffee onto the floor. Her other friend Emily was only just able to avoid being spilled on.

“Aw, shit, sorry.”

“Sorry Liz, my bad, I moved into your space” Tara said, whilst adjusting her glasses.

“No, it's alright. My bad, really, I was doing the job of a statue.”

“A statue, huh Liz? Seeing what exactly?”

 _'Damn, they know me well'_ Liz thought, while remembering this sort of a thing usually only happened when something amazed her.

She lifted her head again, trying to re-focus and see if she could spot the girl again. But her eyes let her down, she couldn't see her anymore.

“Nothing, nothing. Come on, I’m starving.” Liz said to herself, whilst looking at the cafeteria sign hanging from the ceiling.

Lisa felt strangely peaceful whilst enjoying her lunch. The beast inside her stomach was forcefully tamed with some sandwiches. And now, her mind at peace, she started to think. Thinking during lunch, that was a bad signal.

 _'What was that? I mean, that girl was the focus of attention apparently, judging by the high amount of football players circling around her and other people_ _talking with her. And why did I say 'wow' when I saw her? That was like a not-wanted involuntary movement, happening before I realized it. Why does time seem to slow down and stop when I see her? I know that's just an expression, but maybe it's a signal I’m going crazy? Again, Why?_

_Argh, maybe I've just not had enough food to make my brain work better. Maybe I'm just overheated, it's hot outside after all. Just stop thinking, Liz, just focus on being a ‘good girl’, try to work hard in school and get good grades, get an A+ on some subject. And maybe, it's time to lurk around for a boyfriend or something.'_

Just as one thought process was stopping, the next one hit her brain. A memory of a few months ago. A brief talk while sitting at the table eating dinner.

_“Can you tell us again how you both got together?” Billy asked. It seemed to Lisa that him being a year older than her gave him the privilege to talk with a bit less propriety to their parents._

_“Kids, I’ve been telling our history since you two were old enough to hear. And it's not that long ago we last talked about it, like, only a year ago” Chloe said with a smirk in her face._

_“C’mon Chloe, tell them!” Rachel said while getting an extra spoon from the kitchen._

_“You too, Rach? Argh, alright, fine, whatever. But the short version. No complaints.”_

_“That’s good enough for me” Billy replied._

_Liz nodded and the story began. Their two mothers seemed so happy telling the story, even if both their kids had heard it more often than necessary. Chloe and Rachel always smiled and laughed. Lisa liked it very much to see them like this. The feeling was always very fulfilling._

At the end of the story, Chloe had placed the remark that was now sounding in Liz's head for the last few minutes.

 _“…what I’m telling here kids, it doesn’t matter who you love. Nor what people tell you. If you are in love with a person, you just do whatever it takes to make it work. And for the rest, pardon the expression, society can bite me”._ Rachel had admonished Chloe for that last remark. _“Chloe! Not at the table!”_

Coming back to the reality of school was easy, everybody was leaving the cafeteria and Liz's friends were talking to her, asking her to come with them.

“C’mon Liz, our next class is gonna start soon.”

“Uh-what?”

“Spacing out again, Liz?” Emily said, whilst picking up her stuff from the table and getting up.

“Sorry, that is a bit too much spacing out for today” Liz replied, grabbing her own stuff and lifting herself from her chair.

As the three of them start to walk towards the exit, the _‘high class’_ girls crossed their path, giving the three a devil smirk and a _really_ stupid suppressed laugh. Idiots.

“Don’t give them attention. They think that because they are pretty rich they can control the whole school” Tara said, adjusting her glasses once more.

“They kinda do that a lot, T” Emily added, whilst doing a _duh_ expression.

“Just avoid problems with the one in the middle, I think her name is Angela or something like that. Avoid problems with her and her bitches, and all will be OK.”

“Mental note annotated, Tara” Liz confirmed.

Another thought. _'Angela, pretty name. Who were her parents?'_

The next class started, it seemed it was more of the same. Presentations and all that. Same deal, same action. Same spacing out.

“… _If you are in love with a person…”_

_'Come on Liz, you are definitely not in love with her. She just seems to be the focus of your attention today. The universe is playing tricks on you. It will pass. Whatever.'_

As if by some magic trick, the things the professor wrote on the blackboard started appearing on Liz's notebook with almost no delay. Lisa came back to reality and promised herself to keep looking at the blackboard and listening to the professor. Maybe.

 

***

 

The rest of the day passed strangely unusually peacefully.

Some matters here, some pressing situations there, the usual. The sun was starting to distance itself from the school building. Lisa said goodbye to her friends and started walking all the way back home. It was quite some distance, but Lisa felt she needed some peace and quiet. Silence was all she needed now. Maybe the silence could be mixed with some good indie/rock music coming from her favorite earbuds.

The sun started slowly setting, waiting to be supplanted by the stars and the moon. Birds were finding their way through the trees. The loneliness of the shore. Street lights were starting to show their bright and powerful light. It seemed to Lisa she was inside a fantasy book or something.

When Liz arrived home, there was a note on the stair railing. Curious writing.

“ _We went to the evening shop for groceries. Billy is in his room. With love, momma R.”_

There was a heart at the end of the note. Cute, momma sure loved hearts.

Liz went to the kitchen, opened the fridge and found some really tasty looking chocolate cookies. Without any witnesses, is a crime really a crime? She stuffed a bunch of cookies into her mouth, so many that some of them were still partially visible. She probably looked ridiculous in that situation. Then suddenly, she heard a suppressed laugh, her brother Billy was coming downstairs.

“What are you doing, Liz?”

“ _Uh… nothing_ ” Liz said, while quickly trying to swallow the bunch of cookies already in her mouth.

“Yeah, sure, sis. You look like cookie monster”. Billy displayed a huge grin on his face.

Billy was a good boy. Blond hair, always wearing jeans and football shirts. Sometimes he even wore flannel. But, continuously, he was displaying _his style._

“How was your first day of class, lil’ sister?”

“It was good. Besides the usual boring stuff. How was yours?”

“Pretty good. John picked me up early this morning so we could do some football practice before school, our first game of the year is coming up pretty soon. Aside from that, nothing interesting. Oh wait, there was this kid who tried to get the phone number of some new girl in the middle of the hallway by making jokes. Such a waste of time, she completely ignored him.”

Something clicked in Liz's mind. Maybe that was _the girl_. Or maybe she was just trying to project here. There are always gonna be guys trying to have girls' phone numbers. It was really common. Hell, it would probably happen to her at some point during the school year. But, anyway, she wanted to know which girl Billy talked about. Then she realized she was looking straight at the clock.

“… earth to Liz, respond Liz...”

“Uh…”

“Spacing out again? Seems to be your top ability today.”

“Yeah, sorry Billy. But, anyway, can I ask you something?”

“Sure, always.”

“Who was that girl?” Liz asked, showing some blush on her face, and not understanding why that even happened.

“I think I got a picture of her, she was real pretty. Uh, lemme check... I think… yeah... here! Look!” Billy said, shoving his phone into Liz's face.

It was _her_ alright. The girl in the photo was the one Lisa had been spacing out over. Green eyes, an interesting attempt at a side braid with some hair stretching all the way to the other shoulder, and a black leather jacket. It was almost as if she had escaped from a 50's movie, or a modern attempt at one. And the outfit was cruel on Liz's eyes in one way. It was really showing... certain... curves.

She held her brother's phone, studied the picture some more. And, while still blushing, she quickly mailed the picture to her own phone, hoping her brother wouldn't notice. Immediately she handed the phone back to Billy, almost dropping it.

“Wow! Hey, be careful, come on Liz, that phone wasn't cheap.”

“S-s-sorry, I-uh, I’m gonna be in my room. When our moms come back, tell them I’m upstairs. Pleeeeeeeeeease?”

“Fine, fine, whatever.”

“Thanks” Liz said, running upstairs and closing the door to her room behind her. She jumped on the bed and sighed. She took her own phone from her pocket, and opened the image she had just secretly sent to herself.

 _‘The girl’, s_ he whispered to herself in the loneliness of her room. It almost felt like another of her _stop time_ moments. She used this mental break to analyze the girl, in a way she never had before.

 _Why are you looking at her like that? She's just another girl for fucks sake. Stop this. Focus on what is important, like your grades and all that. But...  she’s... kinda… p-p-pretty._ A sudden urge popped into her mind. Something she didn't know what it really was or how to deal with it. Then Lisa noticed one of her hands had travelled way down her own body and was about to slide inside her own pants.

Suddenly she was wide awake. _No fucking way! That did not just almost happen_! She pulled her hands back to her chest and turned off her phone. She turned around and buried her face into a pillow, it muffled her _really-loud-existential-scream_.

 

***

 

 _Did you just fall asleep in your clothes?_ Liz thought, seeing herself with the lower half of her body touching the floor. She noticed the hour, the drool on her face and the smell of coffee, bacon and _something else._

She slowly started to get up and fixed her clothes in place. She smelled something _really_ bad when she approached her dresser mirror. _Ugh, it’s that me_? She took the hem of her flannel shirt and held it onto her nose, smelling the _really_ bad thing she had just noticed. _Yup. That is me. I need a shower ASAP._

She took her clothes off, picking up a simple white towel and headed towards the bathroom, passing the lonely hallway. She put her dirty clothes into the hamper, because they needed to be washed badly.

She switched the shower on and prepared herself. The hot water created a steamy room which seemed enough to hide her body from view in the mirror. She opened the shower curtain and stepped inside, immediately being near-drowned by the stream of hot water. She buried her face inside her hands, rubbing water onto her face repeatedly. The false rain was clearing her mind, distracting her from those earlier thoughts. And it also washed away _that_ one thought of the previous evening.

Once she was done, she prepared herself for the new day. It was a welcoming feeling. She put on her underwear, a white t-shirt, some jeans, her classical boots and picked up a jacket. She fixed her hair in place and went downstairs.

“Hi mom.”

“Hey sweetie. Did you sleep well? When we came back from the store yesterday, Billy told us that you were in your room. I came upstairs to get you for dinner but I saw you sleeping.”

“Oh, yeah. I guess I was a bit tired after the first day of school.”

“A bit? You skipped dinner and slept a large part of the evening and the whole night.”

“I-uh… uh... “

“It's OK. Now eat. I think you must be starving, and I got _this_ for you and your brother.”

Chloe handed Liz a plastic box with a little plastic window in the middle. The top of the box was a strange beige. The lower part said ‘ _Choux Pastries’._

“What? Those things are delicious! How did you get hold of them, mom?”

“Remember the note I left on the stair railing? A friend gave me these pastries, they're really hard to get normally.”

“I know, mom."

“Try one. Breakfast is almost ready… “

Chloe saw her beautiful blonde wife busy in the front yard, picking up the contents of the mailbox and talking to their son Billy. Maybe she was wishing him a good day at school. Whatever.

And then, Chloe looked at her daughter.

The body and hair of Rachel, the attitude of Chloe herself, and the style of both her parents, ranging from classy to practical. Sometimes children would be completely different from their parents. Not in their children's case, thankfully. Her daughter Lisa was a friendly reminder of her own youth. How full and colorful the life of a teenager can be.

Since the days that the kids were born, Chloe and Rachel tried to do their best for both of them. Trying above all to not recreate their own youth. Au contraire, they tried to make it better. Their kids should not have to go through what they had gone through, the drama with Rachel's parents, the fights Chloe had with her mother. And now Chloe was here, looking straight at her daughter, in this beautiful house. The house she shared with _her_ wife and _their_ kids. Even if they were really not kids anymore. Billy was becoming a handsome young man, and her daughter was slowly blossoming into a beautiful woman.

“Uh, mom?”

“O-oh, yes Liz? “

“Are you OK?”

“Yes, I’m perfect. Just… remembering the past.”

“Okay! That happens, I suppose.”

“Y’know… Liz, I think we don’t tell you this often enough. We both love you and your brother more than anything in this world. _More than anything_. We're so happy to have you both. “

“O-of course mom. I know that. Billy and I both do. We love you both too. You've given us so much.”

Rachel opened the front door, carrying a bag with fruit. Rachel had a brilliant smile on her face, as nearly always.

“Hey! Look who got strawberries and bananas for a great price! “

“Strawberries and bananas? Rachel Amber, are you going to try and bribe me with my favorite smoothie just so I will give you one of those delicious pastries that _our friend_ gave us?”

“Maybe? Is it working?”

“Totally.”

The couple shared a brief kiss, not too long yet still lovingly. Suddenly the both of them remembered they had a daughter who still had to be brought to school. And it was kinda late.

“Oh shit! C’mon Liz, we are late!”

“Chloe, language!”

“ _Yeahsorrybye_ ” Chloe replied, running to the car with Liz right behind her.

 

***

 

After an almost suicidal drive through town, they arrived at Blackwell.

“OK Liz, remember that after school I'm coming to pick you up and bring you to the Two Whales for the job that _you_ requested. Grandma Joyce is looking forward to seeing you tonight.”

“Yes! Thanks mom!”

“Aww, sweetie. Now go. Have a great day!”

“ _See ya later mom”_ Chloe heard the car door close with the usual loud thud. Chloe smiled, her daughter was quite like she had been at that age.

 _'Maybe I'll tell her when she gets back to the house. Yeah, it can wait'_ Chloe thought, reminding herself of the promise she made the day before.

For Liz, the day was promising to be more of the same boring four walls of the day before, with some dull, fat or old professor talking about some non-interesting subject. Perfect. And luckily, that would give her time to maybe learn or understand more of _the girl._

“Hey T, Em, good to see you both.”

“Hey Liz, what’s up?” Emily replied.

“Nothing, just here waiting for something interesting to happen today.”

“Heh, we are all in the same position here.”

“So, what subject is first?”

“Math. Yeah, I know, _booooo_. That new teacher, I saw him, he really looks boring. After that, biology and finally, literature.”

“Yeah, I can't wait until this day is done, so I can go and start my new side-job.”

“Really?”

“Yup, my mom is gonna take me to the Two Whales for the side-job I've been mentioning, you know that my grandma owns the Two Whales?”

“Oh right, you told us about that before. Well, lucky you.”

“Yeah, so y’know, if someone asks where I am tonight?”

“We'll let them know you're not available.”

“Perfect, thank you. Now, let's keep waiting for something interesting.”

“Be careful with what you wish for. It might be more than you can handle” Tara said, speaking her first words in the conversation.

“Yeah, I know.”

Suddenly, a girl with freckles and a lot of hair on her head, carrying what seemed like a ton of books, bumped into the group of three. _‘Sorry, excuse me’._ She kept repeating this the whole way, whilst passing more people. The girl was wearing glasses and a pink sweater.

“How many newbies in school this year?” Emily asked, looking a little frustrated.

“I don’t know. But now that Blackwell has a new Arts section, a lot of new people started showing up here, older students too. More money in Blackwell's pockets", Tara said, adjusting her headphones. “Whatever, let's go inside, I’m melting here and our class is gonna start in 10 minutes.”

And like that, the trio of girls went inside to start another day in their educational career.

 

***

 

“Goodbye Liz” Emily said, waving her hand.

“Goodbye Liz, see you again tomorrow, have fun working!”

“ _Bye guys, see’ya!”_

That was the last sound Lisa heard before seeing her mother arrive at the school entrance.

“C’mon Liz, it could start raining soon.”

“Coming!”

Liz jumped the first flight of stairs down to the parking lot and fell onto the floor. Somehow, she managed to not break any bone. Lucky.

“Are you alright, kiddo? Why did you do that? If you got hurt, your grandma would kill me. She really loves you.”

Clouds were moving in fast, promising some serious rainfall. Chloe drove the both of them to the Two Whales.

 

***

 

After arriving at the Two Whales, Chloe told Lisa that she'd seen Joyce that day already and would not be going in with Lisa. " _If it's still raining at the end of your shift, call me. I'll come pick you up. Your momma is with a friend today and won't be available this evening."_

As a gust of wind flew by her shirt, Lisa realized she was wearing the wrong jacket.

_'Shit, I really should have picked another jacket today, figures I'd take the only one without a hoodie. I'm going to go inside quickly.'_

She ran to the front door, noticing a girl near the entrance, a hoodie covering her head. That girl was smiling and laughing. Some brown hair was still visible, escaping from its confinement.

As Lisa entered the Two Whales, she saw a middle-aged woman wearing a diner outfit look at her. At first it seemed weird to Lisa.

“Oh my god! Lizzie? Is that you?” The woman, named Rhianna, or at least that's what it said on her badge, embraced Liz in a tight hug. Too tight, to be honest.

“Uh…”

“Oh, yeah, sorry” Rhianna said. “You probably don’t remember me. I was your _‘nanny’_ when you were like, 4 years old maybe? I don’t remember everything, but let’s not talk about the past, let's talk about you! Look at you, such a lovely young lady. I'm sure you have a boyfriend, or are the boys around here too stupid to notice a princess like you?”

The blush in Liz's face was clear to both of them. They shared a brief moment of silence when a blonde woman came out of the kitchen. Hair in a bun, blonde with some grey in front. Wearing heels and a classical waitress dress. Joyce Price.

“Grandma!”

“Lizzie! Oh my god. How are you dear? Chloe said you would come.”

“I'm fine grandma. It has been a while since I saw you the last time. How are you?”

“I'm fine too, Liz. I’m still taking care of this place. It’s old like me, but I hope it will continue for a long time to come, I love this diner.”

“Aw, grandma, you're not old. You are looking sharp, as always. I’ve seen photos of you and mom when she was a teenager. You look exactly like you did then.”

“Oh dear, that's nice. I’m sure you didn’t inherit those manners from your mom Chloe. So, you are here for the side-job we talked about?”

“Yes, mom picked me up from school and dropped me off here.”

“Chloe said she would do that, I remember, she told me earlier today. So, I'm gonna put you behind the bar, but remember darling, you are still too young to serve alcoholic drinks and all that. But serving coffee, tea and plates of food should not be a problem.”

“Oh, no problem. It’s a good start.”

“Your supervisor is making a phone call, she’s gonna be here in a minute. So, get ready. Your outfit is back there. I’m gonna give you money based on your performance and mood. Y’know, serving coffee to people is actually more difficult than you might imagine. But we're all here to support you. So, good luck! If anything happens, ask your supervisor - oh, there she is!”

Flannel tied in a knot at the waist with a medium tight skirt, an attempt at a side braid with long hair, and green eyes.

It was _the girl_.

“…Joyce, I need more... o _h...”_

As Rhianna lifted the coffee jar, it hit Lisa's right arm, spilling the cold coffee on her white t-shirt. It was Lisa's luck that the coffee was cold, but it was not lucky because it was _still_ coffee, it _still_ left a big brown stain. Shit.

“Oh my god Liz! I’m so sorry! Let me clean up this mess...”

“N-n-no, don’t worry. It's fine. I have another shirt in my backpack.”

“Where is your backpack?”

“It's ther—”

The backpack wasn’t there.

It was still in Chloe’s car.

_‘Take your backpack, just in case.’_

_‘Don’t worry mom, I’m probably gonna work behind the bar.’_

Now Lisa fully regretted her decision not to bring her backpack inside.

 _“_ Shit…”

“I’ll give her a clean shirt” _the girl_ said. She had a really teenage voice, speaking in a very distinct and high-pitched way. She handed Liz a red t-shirt with some birds on it.

“N-no, it's fine, really.”

“No, you can't be in here and serving customers with a stained shirt, so I'm going to insist you wear this clean one. Take it.”

"Thanks."

“No problem. I think it will fit you well.”

“I-if you say s-so…”

After seeing a wink from _the girl,_ and being briefly confused because of it, Lisa headed towards the staff room. Lisa closed the door behind her and changed her clothes, mostly importantly the stained shirt. The clean shirt she had been given felt really comfy. It was a dim red, a bit oversized, but still good. Then she put the rest of the work outfit on. Medium tight skirt with the classical blue jacket. Old fashioned, but good.

She picked up her dirty t-shirt and put it in a plastic bag, she'd ask her mom to help wash it later.

As she was about to leave the staff room, _the girl_ was standing there. Her body was leaning against the doorframe, in what seemed to be a very deliberate pose.

“Looking rad.”

“It’s a bit oversized, but it's fine.”

 _The girl_ lifted a hand out of her back and reached the middle space between the both of them.

“Kristi. Nice to meet you.”

“L-Liz.”

“Liz, I like it. Now let's go behind the bar. It’s our shift.”

_“Liz, are you there?”_

_“_ Yes, I’m here.”

Rhianna pushed through the dual-swing door, it made its classical specific sound and reverted back to its original position.

“Oh, there you are! I’m so sorry about _that_ ” Rhianna said, pointing with a finger to the plastic bag with the dirty shirt.

“Oh, don’t worry. It’s just coffee”

“We have a laundry machine for this sort of situation. I'll put it in there for you, so it will be clean before your shift ends.”

“O-oh, yeah! Sure. Thanks.”

Rhianna picked up the shirt and made her way to the back of the diner. It wasn't long until a really familiar sound could be heard, the sound of a washing machine's rotations.

 

***

 

“So, can we start our tutorial?” Kristi said, pointing with her hand towards where the bar was.

“S-sure”.

"The first thing I'm gonna show you is how to clean and refill the coffee machine. Pay close attention. First you hit this switch, which will allow you to open the front compartment here. Take out this container and empty it into the trashcan over there. Easy enough, isn't it?"

"Y-yeah, shouldn't be a problem."

Kristi was standing really close to Liz. Lisa could swear she could feel Kristi's breath. A shiver ran through Liz's body. _'Focus Liz, focus, pay attention'_ , she said to herself. What was this weird feeling?

"Now you clean the rest of the muck out with some hot water, and then you put it back, like this, ready for more service. After closing the compartment, we will open the top, and check if we need to add more coffee beans. Now it's really easy, just open the jar and fill the coffee beans compartment to the top. Go ahead, try."

Lisa picked up the coffee bean jar and filled the beans compartment to the top, as instructed. It didn't take long at all. The coffee machine sure looked fancy, especially considering how old the diner itself was. But to Lisa it sure explained why so many people spoke so favorably of Joyce's coffee.

"Well done, Liz. You're going to be good at this, I can tell easily."

At that moment, Joyce approached the two girls asking for two regular coffees for the new customers that had only just entered the diner. "Take those cups", Joyce said while pointing at the lower shelf.

Kristi put the coffee pot in its position to be filled with delicious fresh hot coffee from the machine. "Now all we have to do is wait, Liz."

Once more Kristi stood close to Lisa. Lisa nervously looked in her direction and once again made eye contact. Kristi's eyes were a powerful dark green. Even more so from up close than they had seemed from afar at Blackwell. Mysterious. And why did that weird feeling return to her stomach? A strange sort of ticklish sensation she'd never felt before. Was this even normal? Was she imagining it? Time seemed to be slowing again... spacing out.

"Liz! Hey Liz! Hello? You still here?"

"Uh... uh... yeah?"

"The coffee machine is finished. Why don't you take the two cups and put them on the customers' table, and I'll bring the coffee pot?"

"Y-yeah... sure."

Lisa managed to put the coffee cups in front of the customers without dropping them, which she herself thought was nothing short of a miracle, considering her state of mind. Kristi enthusiastically greeted the customers and filled their coffee cups up. "Can I take your food order now?"

The customers both ordered a meal and Kristi promised them they'd have it soon. Lisa still seemed to be spacing out, and Kristi took her hand and dragged her back behind the counter.

"Is something wrong, Liz? You seem very absent-minded today."

"M-m-maybe I'm just nervous. First day on the job, don't want to make mistakes."

"That could be it. And there's nothing wrong with that, sweetie. I'm here to help you."

Lisa shook her head. Kristi was displaying such confidence, and she was so desperately short of it. But wait... did Kristi just call her sweetie? And why? Did she call others that? Why were these things happening? Stop with the damn questions already, she told her mind.

Not much later, Joyce emerged from the kitchen with two plates of delicious looking hot food. She put them on the counter, and asked Lisa to bring them to the customers.

 _'Don't let me down, hands',_ Lisa told herself. She picked up one of the plates and sat it down in front of the first customer, and then repeated the process. Fortunately, the two customers had ordered the same thing so there was no need to ask who had what. The customers thanked Lisa and she returned behind the counter. ' _That wasn't difficult at all'._ Lisa felt some relief. She saw Kristi smile at her.

"Well done, Liz."

Two police officers entered the diner, sat down at the counter and asked for coffee. Kristi signaled to Lisa that she should serve them the hot liquid. Again, it wasn't difficult at all. Once Lisa was done filling the coffee cups Kristi approached and greeted the policemen. "Hi Jim, hi Ralph, good to see you both. This is our new employee; her name is Liz."

"Well hello Liz, nice to meet you, how are you doing?"

"F-f-fine. I just started here today."

"That's good". The policemen were then distracted by some noise coming from outside. Some weirdo was screaming some random stuff. Kristi took the opportunity to encourage Lisa. "You're doing great Liz, no need to be nervous. Just take it easy and focus” Kristi said, putting a bunch of hair behind her ear. “Anyway, Liz, can I ask you a question?"

"S-s-sure... ask away."

"I was wondering. Your grandma calls herself _Price_ , but in school I saw on the list that your surname is _Amber_. May I ask? If it's none of my business just tell me."

"N-n-not a problem. My full name is Elizabeth Dawn Amber-Price, it's the combination of my moms their surnames. But to keep it simple it's just Lisa Amber, or Liz for short. I don't mind. And you?"

"My first names are Kristina Jade, but I prefer Kristi. Wait... _Amber_... are you Billy Amber's sister?"

"Y-yeah, he's my older brother. Mom named him William, but he calls himself Billy."

"Right. He's on the football team, isn't he? I spoke to him briefly in class, he's handsome, isn't he? Oh, I apologize for not realizing this earlier. I mean, we had eye contact in school, didn't we? Yeah. Billy and you are the ones with the two moms. That is so cool! It sounds like you have a happy family."

"I-it's good, yeah. My moms are really good to me and my brother. And you, your family?"

For the first time, Liz saw Kristi sigh. "I-uh… maybe we could talk about this somewhere else? You're coming to work here again Saturday morning, right? I'll be here as well. When our shift ends, maybe we could go and hang out a bit? I know a spot we could go to, but don't feel pressured. Just say no if you don't want to. No problem, really."

Lisa wasn't sure. Was _the girl_ asking her out? No way, she was just imagining, her mind was still playing tricks. It was just a friendly thing, surely. Maybe Kristi just wanted to be friends with her. Yeah, that's likely all it was. She liked the idea of making a new friend, maybe someday soon they could hang out together with Emily and Tara, go see movies and do girly stuff.

"I-I think I'd like to hang out a bit. There's not much to do this Saturday afternoon anyway."

"Great. Liz, you're not going to regret this. I want to show you a very special spot that I visit sometimes. I go there when I want to think and just be free without parents' supervision, yeah?"

"Sounds good. You're on."

That wasn't so hard. Now if only her mind would stop thinking weird stuff, this could all work out fine. Maybe it was just a phase, something that was part of growing up.

Customers came and went. Some wanted just coffee and talk to Joyce and the girls. Some came to eat. Some asked for takeaway food. All through the rest of their shift, Liz and Kristi worked well together. Liz even started smiling after losing some of her initial nervous streak.

Near the end of the shift, when the last customer left the diner, Joyce called the girls to the back.

"Kristi, Liz, you've both done very well today. And Liz, I saw you smile. You're gonna get the hang of this very soon. I am very proud of you. Kristi, you did well, this is what I expect from a supervisor. Let me sign your timesheets. We'll arrange the pay on Saturday, alright? Liz, I called Chloe earlier, she's coming to pick you up. I told her you did well."

Kristi and Lisa both went to change back to their regular clothes. Lisa was about to take the shirt off so she could hand it back to Kristi.

“Thanks for the t-shirt. I’m gonna go get mine now.”

“Keep it. It looks good on you."

"A-a-are you sure?"

"Yeah, you're gonna need a shirt to wear tonight, right? Your white t-shirt is probably not going to be dry yet. I don't think Rhianna took it out of the washing machine before she left. I'll go get it for you. Besides, I don't think you will want to be around this town in just a bra." Kristi winked at Lisa before heading towards the washing machine, leaving Lisa briefly confused again.

Not much later, Kristi returned with Lisa's washed shirt, and Lisa put it back in the plastic bag. They were both wearing their normal clothes again. Kristi found her car keys and was ready to drive herself home. "Wait, Liz, you wanna exchange phone numbers?"

"S-sure, I mean, we're gonna work together more often, right?"

"I think so too, I'm looking forward to it. And I'm definitely looking forward to Saturday."

They entered each other's phone numbers in their respective phones. Then, before Lisa was able to realize what was happening, Kristi was staring at her like she saw something on Liz's face. Liz started to feel herself blushing. Suddenly, Kristi lowered her face, a soft smile appeared on her lips. And before Liz could do anything, Kristi gave her a quick peck on the cheek, and left the diner to go home. Lisa was left in near shock, her mouth open, with only a low whisper escaping from between her lips. _"Wow..."_

Just minutes later Chloe barged through the diner's doors. "Hey mom, how are you? Hey kiddo, time to go home."

After a short discussion between Chloe and Joyce, Chloe and her daughter were ready to go home. Outside the diner, Chloe said to Lisa she was very glad to hear that Lisa's first day in her side-job had gone so well.

Quickly, Chloe walked to the car so she could start the engine. Liz suddenly realized she was missing something. A thing in the shape of a rectangle. Her phone.

She turned around and looked inside the diner. There it was, on the bar, buzzing. Probably someone sending her a message.

“Mom, wait! I forgot my phone, I left it in the diner!”

“No problem dear, I’ll wait here!”

Liz opened the door again and walked to the bar. She said “ _Helloandgoodbye”_ to Joyce, picked her phone up and went back out again. As she checked the messages, she bumped into something. It was the girl with the hoodie she had seen earlier.

A lot of hair, freckles and a… _meme_ t-shirt _?_ And blush on her face. _I don’t know why she’s blushing._

“O-oh, sorry, I was checking my phone, a-and you just appeared and I-I…”

“No, it's OK! I was not paying attention either.”

“Yeah…”

For a few moments they stayed like they were. In silence, with only the sound of cars on the road audible.

_Wait… I know her! She was the girl we saw at Blackwell, the one with the books!_

_“_ Wait, I know you!”

“Y-you know me?”

“Yeah! You were the girl _bumping into everyone_ today.”

“O-oh. Yeah. I-I’m sorry, I was late for class and the library was really far away, and…”

“No, yeah, it's OK. No big deal.”

Liz checked the girl's shirt. A dog wearing what seemed like a medical coat. But not all of it was visible.

 _“_ O-oh, yes. My t-shirt…” the girl said, lifting her hoodie from her head as she prepared to turn around.

“No, wait. I wanna see it.”

“W-what? I-I... uhh…”

The girl blushed a little more and opened her hoodie, showing the _meme_ t-shirt Lisa though she had identified earlier.

“Heh, _‘I’m a dogtor’. Funny.”_

“T-thanks.”

Liz lifted a hand to reach the space between them.

“Lizzie Amber.”

“Sophie Caulfield. N-nice to meet you.”

After some chit-chat, both girls exchanged phone numbers and said their _goodbyes_. Lizzie walked towards the car just to see a _not too angry_ mother.

“My god Lizzie, I’m getting older just waiting for you.”

“Sorry mom, I just met a girl who bumped into me today in school.”

“O-oh, really?”

“Yeah, long hair, freckles and glasses. Also, a funny t-shirt.”

“What's her name?”

“Sophie Caulfield.”

Chloe hit the brakes so hard that the car left brake marks on the road, Chloe managed to keep the car under control, drifting slightly and stopping at the side of the road. That surname was like a slap in the face with a brick on fire.

“ _Whooooa!_ Mom, what was that? I-I thought I was gonna die.”

“I am so sorry Liz, my bad. But, c-can you repeat the name?”

“Y-yes, Sophie Caulfield. What is wrong?”

There was the brick slapping Chloe's face again. 

“N-nothing sweetheart, nothing… just… reminds me of someone else. Strange.”

“O-ok…”

“Just… let's not talk ‘bout this with your momma. Yes, Liz?”

“Yeah, I don’t want you two fighting.”

“Aw, honey…”

Both daughter and mother shared a hug. How does a simple movement, an almost careless action, become such a meaningful thing? It almost sounded like a thing Rachel would do.

"Grandma is very proud of you, which means I am too. Let's drive quickly because momma Rachel is busy making dinner. Billy just got home too so it's going to be a full table tonight!"

"That's nice, mom. Are we gonna..."

"Yes, that's what I promised, right? Your momma and me have figured out what's going to happen. You're gonna like it, trust me."

_'I'm gonna ask Rachel if she knew something about this. Also, I need to ask Max. it seems that she forgot to tell me something.'_

 

_***_

 

Chloe and Lisa arrived back home, and upon opening the front door Lisa could smell the dinner already. That must be momma Rachel's special spicy chicken recipe, she recognized it well.

"Hi momma, hi Billy."

"Hey darling, how was work? How's grandma Joyce doing?"

"It went well, momma. I had some help, and I didn't drop anything. Though Rhianna spilled coffee on my shirt, but it got washed already."

Chloe told Lisa to bring the shirt upstairs and hang it out to dry properly, and then return downstairs because dinner was ready.

As usual, when all four were sitting at the table, Billy was doing a lot of talking. Lisa was hearing him speak, but still felt a little weird after what had happened at the diner. Why had Kristi given her that little kiss just before she left? Her mind was asking questions again. She saw the other three talking about something but didn't hear what they were saying. Spacing out again.

"Alright", momma Rachel said. "It's time to discuss something important for both of you. Billy, Liz, you've both asked the same question this week. Mom and I have decided that we want you both to have driving lessons and a car. In fact, your mom Chloe has almost finished work on that old car you've seen in the garage. One of you could take that car, and we’ll take the other one of you to the local used car sellers. Who wants the old car in the garage?"

Billy looked at Liz. "Do you want it?"

"U-uh-uh what?"

"The old car, do you want it?"

"Y-you can take it if you want, I think I can wait."

"Great, mom, I'll take it, it looks great now that you have fixed it."

"Thanks", Chloe told her son. Yeah, she was proud of the job she had done. It was an old car but she had turned it into a jewel. Years of practice repairing cars and David Madsen's lessons had left their mark.

"So, Liz", Rachel said. "We're going to take you to get you a second-hand car. Do you wanna go on Saturday?"

"Yeah... uhhh... wait... no, I can't. I'm working at the diner, and I promised someone that I would hang out with her in the afternoon. Can we maybe do it the week after? I don't mind waiting."

"Sure, anytime, darling, just let us know". Rachel looked at Chloe who was busy filling her plate up for a second portion of Rachel's delicious spicy chicken, her favorite. Chloe and Billy usually ate almost twice as much as Rachel and Lisa did, and yet Chloe didn't seem to gain any weight at all. Still sporting that slim figure she always had. Rachel was still deeply infatuated with her blue haired pirate queen, who was so talented with her hands. Talented in more than one way, Rachel thought to herself.

"Hey sis, that was easy, wasn't it?"

"Yeah. It's good. Thanks mom and thanks momma!"

After dinner Lisa excused herself and went upstairs. She put her backpack down, kicked off her shoes and sat down on the edge of her bed to check her phone. A few messages, one from Tara, two from Emily... and one from _her._

Which one to check first? _'Let's get this over with'_ Lisa thought. Checking _her_ message. " _Hey Liz, loved working with you today, see you soon, xoxoxo"._

Dammit, why was this making her feel this... weird... whatever it was. Surely, she wasn't being hit on, right? No. She was sure she liked boys. Heck, she had even briefly dated one of Billy's teammates. What was his name again? Peter. Yeah, he was nice, they'd gone to see a movie, and then again, but nothing else happened. They didn't match, and that was fine. She was lurking around school for a new boyfriend as it was.

She told herself she wasn't into girls anyway... not in that way. But that feeling, the sensation in her stomach, even the brief shortness of breath. And that one moment the previous evening, just when she was looking at Kristi's picture, and she had almost... She brought Kristi's picture on screen again. Her mind was trying to tell her something. Her mom would call it something hella mysterious. Who even said that word, hella? Momma Rachel had probably brought it with her from California when she was a teenager and came to live with her parents in Arcadia Bay, and mom Chloe had picked the word up during their relationship.

Thoughts. _'Shit, she never told me her last name. Kristina Jade something, that was her full name. But what was the something?'_ A quick search on her computer yielded no results. Kristi did have a social media page, but it also didn't have her last name. And just at that very moment, a friend request popped up. Kristi again. Damn... Lisa wondered if she was being stalked?

_'Stop playing tricks on me, mind, and stop asking questions. I'm tired and want to go to sleep, alright?'_

Lisa left her room to brush her teeth and said goodnight to her moms and brother. Back in her room, she laid down on the bed wearing just some undies and a clean shirt. Even just simply closing her eyes felt good, and the smell of the fresh sheets made the experience even better. Wait... wasn't her brother in the same class that Kristi was? Maybe Lisa could ask him. But it would have to wait for the next day.

Lisa fell asleep and was soon in dreamland.

 

***

 

“A party? Really?” Liz said, taking a glass filled with orange juice.

“Yeah. C’mon, it's gonna be great! There are gonna be guys your age too…” Billy said, with a devious grin on his face.

“I-I don’t know Billy…” Liz said, with some blush on her face.

“Look, it’s Sunday. Some guys from the football team will be there. There’s gonna be music, some _boys I'm not going to let talk to you_ , and…” Billy lowed his head whilst whispering “… _beer and other things”._

“What do you mean with _other things_ ”?

“… drugs... you know. Don't worry, nothing serious, mostly weed.”

“Oh my god, are you for real?”

“Don’t worry, I don’t smoke. I’m just saying what's gonna be there.”

“And you are telling me to go... why…?”

“Look. I see you alone all the time. You're hardly even hanging out with your friends. You need to socialize sometimes, y’know?”

“Ugh. I don’t know…”

“It’s going to be on Sunday, so you have time to decide.”

“Fine, fine. I’ll see. Now get the hell outta here! You are scaring my _unknown_ friends.”

“Ok, I’ll leave. See’ya sis.”

As Billy left the cafeteria table, Emily and Tara swooped in and joined Lisa at her table.

“Sorry, but your brother scares me when he crouches like fucking Gollum.” Em said, leaving a folder on the table.

“Hot” Tara said, putting a lock of hair behind her ear.

“Y’know, I’m right here, T.”

“I don’t care, your brother is hot and you should know it” Tara said, fixing her glasses.

“Ugh, please, he's my brother, it would be gross... incest...”

“If he was my brother, I wouldn’t care about that… I want him to fuck me.”

“Oh my god, shut up, yuck!”

“Fine, I’m gonna save him for my lonely hours tonight, if you know what I mean…”

“My god, gross” Liz said, whilst Emily could not contain her laughter. _Sometimes I don’t know how we became friends, but still, it feels great to have such friends. We should do this mor—_

A sudden touch on her shoulder made Lisa turn her head. Leather jacket, black skinny jeans and a pair of Chuck Taylors. Kristi.

Both Tara and Emily are in near shock, with visible jaw-drops.

“Hey Liz! Good to find you here! And they are…?”

“I-uh…” Liz cleared her throat and continued to speak more clearly. “T-they are Tara and Emily, my best friends. Girls, this is Kristi” Liz made the introductions. But her two friends barely lifted a hand and didn't even say anything. _I guess they’re a bit shocked._

“So, Liz. Are we still doing _that_ on Saturday?”

“Uh, yeah, but we already agreed on that, didn't we? Why ask me again?”

“Nothing, I just wanted solid confirmation.”

“Oh, o-ok.”

“Well, my math class starts soon, so…” Kristi lowered her body to table level and kissed Liz on the left cheek.

“… see’ya guys!”

As Kristi left the cafeteria, Liz was stunned.

With a deep red blush across her entire face, she looked at her friends again, Both Tara and Emily had their mouths wide open, sporting dilated pupils.

“… what happened there?” Tara said in utter disbelief.

“I-uh… I don’t know…” Liz said, swallowing the lump in her throat.

“You don’t remember who she is, do you?” Em said.

“I know her name, and she works at the diner like I do, but for the rest... no… I guess I don’t?”

“Her father is the math teacher. She’s one of the brightest students here, but her attitude tells a different story. She got caught with weed and beer.”

“How do you know that?” Tara said, making a scowl face to her friend.

"Remember the mini-job that I had as an assistant in the principal's office? Well, that gave me time to look a bit at people's files. Anyway, she also has a history of bruises on her arm, which are said to have been caused by falling during skating, but I think there’s more to that situation..."

“Stop it with your CSI shit and get up for the next class” Tara said, grabbing her backpack and taking a last sip of her coffee before throwing the rest in the trashcan.

“Speaking of which, what is our next class?” Liz said, fixing her grey hoodie and also grabbing her stuff.

“It's not like a _class-class,_ more of a multi-class. Arts, the principal approved a kind of multi-subject project sort of thing. Sounds interesting.” Emily said while looking at the schedule in her hand.

“Killing off all the questions today, huh?” Tara said.

“Bite me.”

As the three girls laughed and joked all the way through the hallway, they approached the classroom. A crowd of students was there already. There seemed to be some kind of mini-stage in the classroom.

“What is this?” Liz said, analyzing the environment.

“I don’t know” Em replied.

Suddenly, dramatic music started to play. The sound was resonating from the classroom walls, a violin could be heard.

“Don’t fear, my dear, these tribulations! We will be your helmsmen, sailor!” A woman, maybe a teacher, was making quite an act of it. With a stick in one hand and a leather hood covering her forehead.

“Don’t listen to her! She's a traitor to the cause! Come with me if you all want to live. Take these pictures and travel to another time!” another teacher said. Black dress, fedora hat with boots. Also, freckles on the cheeks, lots of them.

Someone handed the second teacher a box. It seemed to contain many black-and-white pictures. The box said _'cities'_.

A white screen came down from the ceiling, and a projector displayed the first picture.

“New York, the 20s are rolling. A big skyscraper is being built, and some brave men, workers, are sitting high upon the new Empire State Building, a fantastic view.”

Suddenly, an old song was playing from the speakers, and the image on the screen changed to a diner. _It looked like the Two Whales…_

“The 50s are here. Frank Sinatra, and the music style of this era was his signature.” The teacher turned off the projector and stood in the center of the mini-stage.

“But this, my time-travelers, is the past. Now, I want you all to travel by my side to discover the future. So, with this introduction, I want to welcome you all!”

The crowd of students clapped and whistled, some were even screaming. This was a lot more exciting than all those other classes. The teacher with the leather hood came to the stage and joined the other. The two of them took a bow. With a big smile on her face, the first teacher addressed the students.

“I’m Stephanie Gingrich! And this is my dearest colleague and wife in marriage, Maxine Caulfield!”

More claps. This was really good stuff.

“I guess that some of you already know what this is about. Well, for those who don’t know, this is Art class. Yes, if it was already obvious to you, you can laugh.”

The whole group smiled and laughed. It’s like the teachers were controlling their brains. The freckled woman made her way to the center of the mini-stage.

“We talked with Mrs. Grant about this for a while. We have created this art class which contains three subjects. Photography, drama and painting. The both of us will teach all three of the subjects. _My_ specialization is photography, and for Mrs. Gingrich, it's acting. We will have two sessions every week, so everyone can explore in-depth the subjects that you love best” Mrs. Caulfield said, always smiling.

After some time, the bell rang and everyone was soon in the hallway again. Tara and Em were dragging Liz with them, when Liz caught another girl with the corner of her eye. Sophie, the girl from outside the diner, miss _bump-into-people_.

_Wait. Sophie Caulfield. Maxine Caulfield. Is she her… daughter? I will ask her later. That’s... another... surprise. What a weird school year so far._

As Lisa looked back to her front, she was one inch away from Angela’s body. Close enough to bump into her and almost drag the both of them to the ground. _Shit._

_“What the fuck, you weirdo?”_

_“_ Ugh, sorry. I wasn’t looking strai---“

“Sorry is not enough, look at my jacket! It's a mess. Thanks for that, idiot!”

“I said sorry, OK? I can’t rewind time y’know?” 

“Why don't you just--- ugh…”

There was silence. A weird thing, considering what people knew about Angela. Or in any case, what the grapevine said about her, Liz didn't know her personally, after all.

“… it’s alright. Just… go.”

“What?”

Angela straightened her body and walked away, as if nothing had happened. It was weird, because Angela was used to starting arguments and win. But now she had failed… time to regroup.

Liz saw Em and Tara look back at her.

“How did you survive _her_?” Tara asked.

“I-I don’t… know…” Liz said, fixing her blue plaid flannel shirt and seeing Angela disappear in the distance.

“Yeah, well, we need to go. Next class is starting soon, so move your asses, both of you!” Em said, making a weird gesture with her right hand.

“OK, calm down, jeez”.

 

***

 

“Rachel, we need to talk” Chloe said, letting her body fall onto the bed.

“ _Something good or bad?”_ Rachel responded from the bathroom, her voice muffled by the closed door.

“To be honest, I don’t know.”

“OK, so what's up?” Rachel said, stepping out from the bathroom whilst brushing her long blonde hair.

“Remember that just a few days ago we found out that Max moved back here with Steph?”

“Yeah, we met them in that shop. Why? Did anything happen?”

“I saw Liz talking to another girl, not long ago. Long hair, freckles and glasses. Nothing serious, maybe a friend…”

“…and?”

“The thing is, when Liz came back to the car I asked her why she had been talking to that girl for so long. Then Liz told me the girl's name. You are not going to believe this, Rach.”

“Uh, I’m too tired for this. Long story short?”

“Sophie Caulfield.”

Rachel went dead pale. Chloe could almost feel the shiver in Rachel’s body. That was probably her own expression when Liz had told her the name.

“A-are you fucking serious?”

“Yeah. I checked the list at Blackwell. I think Max might have forgotten to tell us about this _little detail_...”

“It seems so, right?” Rachel said, still with her eyes wide open. She was still in shock from the news. It didn't exactly seem like a thing you could easily hide. Especially not from your best friend since childhood.

Both women quickly found each other in bed. After a few cuddles Rachel sank into Chloe's arms, her favorite sleeping position. Her blue-haired pirate pressing their bodies together. They were face-to-face. It’s amazing how after years of being a couple, and being married for so long, they still loved each other as much as they had in the beginning, probably even more so today. It doesn't matter if your partner has blue eyes and hair, or brown eyes and blonde hair, what matters is the fact that you pledged to each other to have and to hold _'til death do you part_. And, also important, after all those years, they still had a highly active sex life.

“What if…?” Chloe said, a hand traveling to the upper part of Rachel’s right thigh.

“Chloe, let me remind you that we have two children sleeping in rooms near us. And you know how loud I can get considering _that_ aspect you are hinting at.”

“I know that, and that makes me want you more…” Chloe said, reaching Rachel’s neck with her mouth and softly biting her ear lobe.

“Chloe, please stop...”

“Why? You are not really trying to actually stop me.”

“Ugh, Chloe, come on.”

“Y’know, Rach. It's funny how after all these years you still have that amazing _‘teasing power’,_ I just can't resist. I want you now... _”_

“Chlo, shut up and kiss me”. The blue pirate queen happily obliged and soon the couple were on their way to heaven.

 

***

 

“Hello Liz!” Kristi said, smiling wide with her modified waitress outfit. Flannel tied in a knot at the waist and a medium tight skirt.

“Hey Kristi, how are you?”

“Fine, fine. Your grandma left for a minute to go to the pharmacy. Her head was killing her.”

“Oh, I hope she’s alright…”

“Your grandma is one of the toughest women I’ll probably know in my life. She’ll be fine.”

“OK, if you say so…” Liz said, changing into her work outfit. “So, Kristi, what’s the deal today?”

“It’s gonna rain for the next few hours, so this could be a really slow day. Maybe we can find a way to make time pass faster? Kristi said, pointing to the _really old_ Rockola in the corner of the diner. “Wanna dance?”

“Oh, no. Nonononononono. I definitely don't want to dance”

“Oh, c’mon Liz! We need something to kill time, y’know?”

“No, I don't wanna dance, I said that already.”

Kristi came from behind the bar, with a half-smile on her face, mixed with a little disappointment. She put her hand on Liz’s left shoulder and proceeded to squeeze in a gentle way and speak in a low and comforting tone.

“Hey. What’s the problem Liz?”

“I-uh… “

_Should I tell her that I don’t want to dance or that I don’t want to dance… with… her…?_

_Oh, shut up Liz! Just tell the truth. You don’t know how to dance. And you don’t want to be the focus of jokes for the rest of the year._

“I-I don’t know how to dance…”

“Are you serious? So pretty and you don’t know how to dance? Where are you from?”

“Uh…” Liz said, starting to be speechless in every way and blushing hard in front of her colleague.

“I will offer myself as your dancing teacher.”

“O-oh, no, it's fine, really. You don’t have to, you will be wasting your time for nothing…”

Kristi reached for Liz's hand and pulled her closer, so close that their bodies were almost touching. Liz almost lost her balance and nearly fell onto the floor, but Kristi used her other hand to make sure Liz would be alright.

Their bodies were inches apart. The smell of coffee and sweet perfume was a weird yet comforting mix. Liz stood rooted to her spot for a few seconds. Kristi kicked the Rockola and to Liz's surprise it started playing a song.

Kristi moved her body backwards and grabbed both of Liz’s hands. A slow melody was sounding throughout the diner. Suddenly, Kristi reached for Lizzie’s waist with one hand and gently put her other hand on her left shoulder.

“Now, m’lady, let’s dance”. Lisa noticed a sweet smile on Kristi's face.

“B-but I don’t know…”

“Just follow my lead. It's gonna be fine.”

“O-ok…”

The song kept playing and the pair were dancing. Liz failed some steps and almost fell to the floor a few times, but Kristi was always there to grab and save her.

_Why is she so good at this? She never lets me fall over. I mean, that’s what friends should do. Laugh at the other's mistakes, but she keeps saving me… why? And why does this feel so good? I mean... her hands... it just..._

“Uh, Liz?”

“Y-yeah?”

“Sorry, you are, uh, staring at my boobs…”

Liz felt more ashamed than she had in a long time. It was true. She had been staring like a creep. And she hadn't even noticed doing so. But now she did notice, Kristi's shirt was partially unbuttoned, putting some of her _curves_ on display... so... mesmerizing... dammit Kristi... was it deliberate? And dammit body, stop making me feel this way.

“O-oh, shit! Sorry, really sorry, I mean… I was…”

“Wow, alright, calm down! It’s fine. I’ve heard you are used to spacing out periodically. It's not a problem, really. I'm kinda flattered, actually. Kristi said, caressing Liz's hand and squeezing gently.

“Y-yeah. I'm really sorry, I…”

“Don't apologize. It's not a problem, sweetie”.

Oh god, she called me _sweetie_ again. Lisa put her hand on her own stomach and took a few deep breaths to try and relax.

At that very moment, Joyce came back into the diner, wearing a black dress and a raincoat.

“Hey girls! How are you both doing?”

“Hey grandma! We are OK, I think. Calm day so far.”

“Yeah, madam. It’s pretty dead today”

“Well, girls. Rhianna will be coming in about an hour or so, I’m gonna let you two go early. Is that a good idea? I'll credit you both for a full shift. I will wire this week's payments later today.”

“Perfect! Thanks Joyce.”

"You're awesome, grandma."

Both girls went to the back and changed back into their own clothes. Kristi was wearing jeans, a short black leather jacket and a pair of Chuck Taylors. Liz also wore jeans, and a shirt, a large deep-blue hoodie and some good old black Vans to go along with them.

“So, Liz. Are you ready?”

“For…. what?”

“I told you. The _place I want to take you to._ ”

“Oh, yeah. I’m ready, I think.”

 

***

 

Less than half an hour later, Kristi's car pulled into _American Rust_ , Arcadia Bay's mostly abandoned junkyard. The biggest question surrounding the place is why no one ever seemed to have decided to clean the mess up. The junkyard was almost considered a piece of sacred art by many of Arcadia Bay's citizens, and they left it mostly untouched, all of the artifacts subject merely to the decay of time.

"The junkyard? A-are you sure, Kristi?"

"Yes, Lizzie, this is the place I told you about. I know there's a lot of old garbage here, but it's really peaceful and quiet. Like I told you a few days ago, here I can think and be free. Be myself, without interference from others. Come on, let's get out of the car, the rain stopped."

Lisa followed Kristi into the junkyard, looking around her and surveying the place. The remains of an old school bus, an abandoned boat full of holes, shells of cars rusting away, and lots of trash. Mostly old, some new, but all of it trash.

"Can you hear the birds, Liz? Their sounds are so soothing. I wish I was a bird, so I could fly... maybe _fly away_ from this place. This town... everything. But anyway, let's go to the other side, the train tracks."

They walked past a semi-wrecked outhouse and arrived at the train tracks. "This is where the freight trains used to pass, when the freight line was still active. A long time ago."

Lisa remembered that both of her moms had mentioned these same freight trains a number of times, when talking about their shared past. She realized she had never been to this place before, preferring to leave it as _something talked about_ rather than _something actually visited_.

"You're right, it's really quiet here."

"Come on Liz, let's sit down on these tracks."

Lisa briefly hesitated but realized the jeans she was wearing were old anyway, so it didn't matter too much if they became a little dirty.

"So, Kristi, what are we going to do this afternoon? Just sit here?"

"No, not all afternoon. Of course not, maybe we can talk here for a while, and then later we can go do something else, maybe a movie something? Or go to your house and just hang out there?"

"We can also go to your house, Kristi... I wouldn't..."

"No, sorry Liz. I can't... it's better that we don't... not the right moment."

Lisa noticed that Kristi was getting a little downhearted. The very moment that she had brought the subject of Kristi's house up, Kristi got uncomfortable immediately. What was going on? Lisa also remembered that Kristi never mentioned her last name, she had planned to ask her brother about that but completely forgotten. And then there was the thing that Emily had told her... _the bruises_... was that a real thing?

But Liz had other questions too. The quick kisses Kristi had given her, and that whole dancing thing earlier that day. What was going on? She decided she needed some answers.

"Kristi? A-are you alright? Y-you don't look very happy, right now. You d-don't have to talk about it if you don't want to... I'm sorry..."

"No, don't be sorry. Remember when you asked about my family situation? I can't tell you all the details... not right now... but I think I trust you enough to say that it is not exactly the picture of a happy American family. I kinda got jealous when you mentioned your loving home and your moms."

"S-so... there are problems with your family? It's n-not a loving home?"

"That's… putting it mildly, Liz. It feels like a prison sometimes. When we moved here, a few months ago, I immediately went searching for a few side-jobs so I don't have to spend any more time at home than necessary."

"B-but you look so happy, so radiant whenever I see you in school, or at the diner. I don't u-understand..."

"It's an act, Liz. I will admit that right now. I don't want people asking questions. Well, except you maybe, what we are doing right now. Like I said, I trust you. It feels like you are my friend. But in school, those boys who hang around me, I think they're only interested in one thing..."

Lisa didn't need much imagination to figure out what Kristi was alluding to. Teenage boys and their hormones, her brother likely too, he and his friends were constantly hanging around with a bunch of girls. She remembered Billy's friend Peter, whom she had briefly dated, and Billy's other friend who had asked him for her phone number, which Billy swore he had not given away.

"I'd love to be your friend, Kristi. I am your friend. I won't say anything to anyone, you can trust me."

"You know, Liz, you're the first person to say that to me in a long time. But it feels good to have you as a friend. I really like you."

 _'I noticed'_ , Lisa thought to herself. Exactly in what way and how much does she like me? That was the question.

"So… you wanna go to the outhouse?" Kristi asked. "It's right over there. I actually fixed it up a little bit, so it won't fall apart."

A few moments later, both girls entered the ramshackle outhouse. Lisa thought that despite how old it looked, it seemed quite cozy. If the rain returned, they would at least stay dry.

Lisa looked around. Faded letters on the walls... _someone was here_... and another someone. Also... _I want to something_... whoever had written that, must have done it a long time ago. Kristi took her leather jacket off and sat down. "Come sit next to me, Liz."

Lisa sat down next to Kristi. "This looks almost like someone once tried to turn it into a home, or something. But that must have been way in the past. See all that stuff lying around here..."

"I like the way you say it, Liz. A home. To me, this is much more of a home than my actual home."

Lisa looked at Kristi's arms for signs of bruises, she was trying to do so as inconspicuously as possible, not wanting Kristi to know that she knew... or maybe also not wanting Kristi to think she was a creep trying to stare at cleavage again. It was hard, because Kristi's button-down flannel shirt didn't leave much to guess, in terms of _that_.

A thought. _'Is she trying to seduce me?'_

And another thought. _'I want to comfort her, in some way'_. Before Lisa realized it, she had put her arm around Kristi, resting her hand on Kristi's shoulder.

"Thank you, Liz. This feels really good. I think I needed it."

Kristi looked at Lisa who was instantly mesmerized by the dark green eyes looking at her. The weird feeling in Lisa's stomach instantly returned. _'Why, feeling, why... what is happening to me? Time seems to almost stand still... I can't explain it. It has to be her... universe, what are you trying to tell me?'_

Lisa sighed deeply a few times, trying to regain focus. That same moment, they both heard the familiar sound of raindrops. Raindrops that were falling on whatever it was that passed for the outhouse's roof and falling in increasingly quick succession. "Let's go back to the car", Kristi suddenly said.

"What do you want to do now?"

"We could go and see that movie now, maybe grab a burger before we go? Is that OK with you, Liz?"

"Y-yeah, that s-sounds like a good plan... we could also watch a movie in my room, my parents have lots of old DVD's, and I have an old DVD player."

"Are you sure, Liz? I don't want to embarrass you or anything..."

"We're friends, Kristi. No big deal... let's go grab that burger first."

 

***

 

"Pull up here, this is where I live, with my brother and moms."

"It's a nice house, Liz. At least one of your moms must be making some good money."

"Yeah, I think so. Momma Rachel has a really good job, so my mom Chloe can do all sorts of side-jobs like fixing cars, being a bartender and occasionally working in the tattoo parlor."

"Are they at home?"

"I-I really don't know... g-guess we'll find out soon". Lisa opened the door to their house, and Kristi followed her in. And sure enough, there they were, sitting on the couch... or rather, half-laying on the couch, mom Chloe holding momma Rachel in her arms and softly kissing her neck in the way that Lisa knew Rachel loved so much whenever Chloe did it. And they were watching television."

"Hi mom, hi momma, I brought a friend from school, we're gonna watch a movie in my room, is that alright?"

"Sure, baby, take some drinks and snacks with you, we don't mind."

Within a very short time, both Lisa and Kristi were upstairs in Lisa's room, leaving Rachel and Chloe wondering. "Who is that, Chloe?"

"I have no idea, Rach. But Lisa said it was a friend from school. I've never seen that girl before. But did you notice her shirt?"

"Hard to miss, isn't it? But anyway, it's nice that Lisa has found a new friend. She hardly ever brings her other two friends to visit here. But let's just go back to what we were doing here, lady Price. Can you switch the channel? That show we love is going to be on soon, and I want to cuddle a bit more."

"Now you're speaking my language, Rach. Let me squeeze you tight!"

Meanwhile upstairs, Lisa was showing her DVD collection to Kristi, who was impressed. "There's a lot of old stuff here too, stuff my moms used to watch."

"I've never heard of these old movies", Kristi said as she was browsing. "Blade Runner, Twilight... what is all of this?"

"Classics, as my mom would say. Well apart from Twilight. Mom and momma said they used to fight over that all the time. Momma really loves it, and mom claims she hates it. But they used to watch it together anyway. Well... you know how they are, you just saw them doing what they usually do..."

"Your moms are so cool, Liz. I love that blue hair the taller one has, such a nice contrast with the long free flowing blonde hair of your other mom."

Lisa smiled, Kristi seemed to be back to her happier self. "Let's watch this, Kristi. This one has a bit of action, a bit of romance... everything really. _'The Lion and the Rose'_ , it was made last year and it's a really nice movie."

After watching the movie, both girls were sitting next to each other on the bed. "I really love your room, Liz. It's so dreamy. So much nicer than my own room."

"T-thanks, I guess. I like it too. I've slept in this room almost my entire life. It really feels like a place of my own."

Kristi looked at her cellphone. "It's getting late, I have to go home. My dad would be angry if I'm not back before midnight. But it was nice hanging out with you today. I definitely want to hang out with you some more and tell you things about my family. Things I need to share with someone, but never have before. I don't wanna scare you or anything."

"I-it's OK, really. I'll be here for you, whatever you need. I liked being with you as well."

"By the way, Liz. I did see you look in the outhouse. And I do love that blush on your cheeks. Can I ask you for one favor before I go? It's... how do I put this... I mean... I didn't ask those previous times, did I?"

"A-ask me what? W-what do you mean?"

"I don't want to make you feel uncomfortable, and I don't want to ruin what we have, our… friendship. It was kind of a stupid idea anyway... sorry."

"N-no, it's fine. You can ask me, really. I-I won't be offended..."

Lisa was amazed to see Kristi somewhat hesitating and drawing a deep breath.

"I'd… really… like to… kiss you, Liz. Just once, I mean... not make out or anything... just a kiss, before I go. I'll sleep better."

Lisa had to swallow the lump in her throat, and she could feel that the blush on her cheeks was spreading across her face. The strange feeling in her stomach also returned. Her mind might be saying no, but her body was definitely not in agreement. Lisa wanted to shut down the internal argument she was having with herself. And then she made the decision. 'Just one friendly kiss, it won't hurt'. The right thought. Let's do this.

But she was unable to speak. Instead, she decided to nod. Kristi stepped closer to her and leaned in, soon their lips touched... seconds that to Lisa seemed like hours. Time was slowing down yet again... spacing out.

Regaining her composure, realizing that the kiss had only lasted a few seconds, she escorted Kristi downstairs and outside the house. As Kristi drove away in her car, Lisa went back into the house. All in silence.

"Are you alright, dear?" Mom Chloe asked.

"Y-yeah, I'm f-fine really... she's just a friend. I'm going upstairs because I feel tired, I want to sleep."

"That's good. Can I get a kiss goodnight? And momma Rachel too?"

"Sure mom."

Not much later, Lisa was lying in bed, wearing nothing but undies and a t-shirt. Still blushing. Sighing. Breathing. Wondering what was happening to her. She now started to realize... Kristi was something... something that she needed to think about... a lot. Kristi was having an effect on her. Lisa realized she was discovering feelings that were entirely new to her, but she wasn't sure yet exactly what those feelings meant. And there were things about Kristi that she needed to know more about. It was going to take some time.

The phone in the nightstand vibrated. A text message. _Maybe it’s Kristi._

_Kristi: Hey Liz. I just want to say thanks for *that* today. Just *that*. You are probably sleeping now, so read this when you wake up._

_Lizzie: Hello! No, I'm not sleeping so yeah…_

_Kristi: Oh, I thought you were one of those early sleepers…_

_Lizzie: Omg, no. My brain hates me for not always sleeping my 8 hours._

_Kristi: No problem. It’s an issue for me too._

_Lizzie: Oh, Kristi, I totally forgot to tell you something._

_Kristi: Yes?_

_Lizzie: My brother invited me to a party tomorrow and also asked me if I could date one of his friends. I’ve been busy with school and the job so I couldn’t do that._

_Kristi: Lemme guess. You want me to go with you…?_

_Lizzie: If you can, please. Sorry for asking this at such a late hour._

_Kristi: No! It's fine. Besides, the more I’m not in my house the better._

_Lizzie: Oh, yeah, sure._

_Kristi: OK. I’m coming with you. See you there!_


	2. Discoveries

Sunday, 10 o'clock in the morning. Something was making a horrible sound. It was Liz’s alarm clock.

 _“Wh… at...”_ Liz groaned, throwing everything within her reach at the hated _wake-up device._

 _“Shut… up!_ _You stupid thing”_ she said angrily, finally managing to punch the damn thing and making the sound stop. Good.

Now she was wide awake, staring at the ceiling with the dim light reflecting on every surface in her room. _Mornings should be like this always…_ except for the alarm clock bit.

A sudden buzzing sound pulled her out of her thoughts. She grabbed her phone and lowered the brightness of the screen. Her eyes weren't ready for the day yet.

She checked the notifications on her phone and went directly to the most recent one. A chat group with Tara and Emily.

**_Tara: C’mon, we're gonna be late if you don’t get ready soon!_ **

**_Em: I’M TRYING OK, JEEZ._ **

**_Tara: TRY HARDER T._ **

**_Me: Uh…. hello?_ **

**_Tara: Oh, Hello Liz_ **

**_Em: Hello_ **

**_Me: What did I miss?_ **

**_Em: Nothing, just some PERSON hurrying me so we can go to the mall._ **

**_Tara: I'M NOT HURRYING YOU_ **

**_Me: Why are you going to the mall in the first place?_ **

**_Em: Uh, the party tonight?_ **

_Oh, yeah. The party. Right._

**_Tara: So, we are going to buy some pretty things…_ **

**_Em: … Because you want to date every guy on the football team. Especially Billy. Am I right?_ **

**_Tara: Y’know, I'll shut up now._ **

**_Em: Ha, whateva. But, yeah Liz, basically that. Maybe we'll get a haircut, some make-up…_ **

**_Tara: A dress…_ **

**_Em: You said you would shut up, didn’t you?_ **

**_Tara: Fine._ **

**_Me: Ugh, pls stop before you two make me wanna throw up._ **

**_Em: Liz, tbh, you could use some accessories. You really ought to bring at least something of your good looks out._ **

**_Me: Y’know what, I don’t like fancy things too much._ **

**_Em: ANYWAYS, you’re coming with us. Period._ **

**_Tara: I give you 30 mins to be ready and outside your house so we can go. It isn't far from here._ **

**_Me: Ugh, why…_ **

**_Me: Ok, fine…_ **

**_All users went offline._ **

_So, we're going to the mall huh? At least it could be fun… I think… maybe._

_“Liz, are you awake, breakfast is ready!”_ Billy shouted, knocking her door once in passing by.

“Coming!” Liz said, lifting her body off the bed and leaving her phone on her pillow. She caught the previous chat with Kristi with the corner of her eye.

_See you there!_

Somehow, that simple phrase put a smile on her face. Funny, isn’t it?

Another shout from someone. “ _Liz, coffee is getting cold!”_

 _“_ Coming! I swear!”

The outfit for the day was already planned. It wasn't as warm as usual outside. Liz chose a good comfy hoodie, jeans because they were going outside, and her oldest pair of Chuck Taylors. For a shirt, she considered two options. An old faded Nirvana t-shirt from her mom or the red t-shirt that Kristi had given her.

_Should I… wear it today? I don’t want to look like a creep for using another person's clothes… wait, what am I saying? Nobody knows that. Certainly not Tara or Em._

She picked up the t-shirt that Kristi gave her, put in on and looked at it in the mirror. That simple action put a smirk on her face again. _Why am I smirking? Just get dressed, and go downstairs, Liz._

A few minutes later, she opened the door and stepped out, noticing the smell of hot coffee and bacon. Something usually reserved for Monday mornings.

Mom Chloe was busy in the kitchen, and noticed Lisa arriving downstairs. “Hey sweetie! Take a seat, new coffee is on the way.”

“Hi mom!”

Soon after, another arrival from upstairs. “Hey honey, hey sweetie!”

“Hi Rach. Coffee is on the way, take a seat.”

“I still wonder why you started giving the kids coffee all those years ago.”

“Simple, Rach. First, I’m doing that because my mother didn’t want me to drink it, and second, they are old enough to be personally responsible for any possible excessive consumption of caffeine.”

“So many fancy words, Chlo. I give up, I said nothing.”

“It's easy to win when you are sleepy, Rach.”

“Yeah, whatever… are you coming or not?”

Chloe approached Rachel and gave her a kiss somewhere on her messy blonde hair.

“Morning' Chlo… thanks for that.”

“No problem hon... anytime.”

“Aw” Liz said, seeing her moms do those simple signs of affection.

“Ha, thanks Liz. One day this will be your reality. With a guy and---“

“--- or with a girl. Like us.” Rachel interrupted Chloe, making the latter blush.

The sexuality of their children was a topic that simply didn't get discussed a lot. Chloe and Rachel didn't think it mattered, love is love after all. They knew their own histories, and there had been difficulties. They always tried to avoid the bad parts as much as possible whenever their kids asked how the two of them had met. They loved telling the story in general, but often left out some of the less pleasant details.

Sometimes avoiding the drugs. Sometimes avoiding mentioning the dealers Chloe had to fight to free herself from. Sometimes avoiding the unpleasant scenes with Rachel's parents. Sometimes avoiding Chloe's endless fights with her mother and particularly her stepfather. Sometimes avoiding the story of their elopement. They didn't want their children to have a bad image of their mothers.

Both Chloe and Rachel knew they were not perfect parents and never would be. But what mattered to them was to give their children a more pleasant youth than they had lived through themselves. Anything to give Billy and Liz a happy home and a good future was worth it to them. They had learned some things the hard way. But the future was going to be better than the past, and that was the most important thing.

“Liz… look. If you like a boy… or a girl, it doesn’t matter to us. Your happiness is what matters. The love you have for that person, whoever that will be, is what matters. Don’t let people drag you down and tell you what you should and shouldn't do. Be yourself. Love who you want and be how you want. Momma Rachel and myself are happy with whatever you choose. That’s the best advice we can give you, sweetie. Just… be yourself.”

“Uh… t-thanks mom. I really appreciate that…”

A horn sounded from outside. Probably Tara and Em. They had arrived to drag Liz with them to the mall.

“That's them, mom. Tara and Em. We're gonna go to the mall. I need to go.”

“Sure Liz, go. Will you come back home right after?”

“We're gonna hang out at Em's house until the evening, so don’t stay up for me.”

“Remember that it's Sunday, young lady. I know about that party your brother is going to, so we'll let you stay out, but be back here before midnight. Deal?”

“Deal.”

“OK, so what are you waiting for?”

“Thanks mom, momma. Bye!” Liz said, as she ran towards the door.

“Be careful, dear!”

After the door closed, a brief silence occupied the whole house. Some stares were exchanged between the two mothers.

“Chlo, I… haven’t heard that talk in a while…”

“I know Rach. It’s just... I want her to be prepared for the world. I know she's old enough to make her own decisions, and I'm not suggesting I think she's into girls or something, I mean, she dated that boy, didn't she? But _we_ know what dating a person of your own gender carries with it. We know very well, don't we Rach?”

“Yeah. Especially you, remember that guy you dated before you met me?

”Ugh... don't remind me. I would still hardly call it _dating_ , it was more like hanging out, and it only escalated once. And we both know he got the wrong ideas from that.

"Yeah, he was stalking you for a year or so after you started friendzoning him. I'm happy I never dated any of those Vortex Club guys more than once."

"I'm glad we haven't seen him for over twenty years, Rach. I remember that one time he tried to corner me and was shouting at me that you were a bad influence, and that I owed him because he was there when I needed somebody. I actually got scared a few times that maybe he would try to kidnap me or hurt you."

"You're right Chlo, if we ever meet him again, it will be a thousand years too early."

Rachel lifted her body and closed the distance between the two of them. The result was a simple, yet long-lasting kiss on the lips. Enough to calm every single one of each other's nerves. Chloe knew she would never get tired of those kinds of kisses.

“Thanks Rach. I think I needed that.”

“Always, my love”.

 

***

 

The three girls arrived at the mall, and things were a little more busy than usual.

“ _Liz, try_ _this one, and then this one, and I think… yes, this one too.”_

“And try these earrings, cheap but very pretty.”

“Why are you two drowning me in things that I am probably not gonna buy anyway?”

“This is a dresser. You can _try_ stuff here, y’know?”

“I know, but why _that_ many?”

 _“WE ARE HERE TO TRY THINGS, FOR FUCKS SAKE”_ Tara said, almost screaming and alerting everyone in the store.

“OK, chill, jeez."

“Besides, there are some pretty boys here. Like that one, he's staring at you right now, Liz.”

“WHAT?” Liz said, frantically looking around for the culprit.

“My god, Liz. I’m joking.”

“Yeah, you probably want all that attention for yourself, T” Em said.

“Shut up, thank you very much.”

“I’m still wondering why I agreed to come with the both of you?”

“Because we need to make you more attractive...”

“Ha, funny…”

“Shut up and keep trying those things on...”

 

***

 

“LIZ, MOVE YOUR ASS WE ARE LATE TO THE PARTY. IT’S NOT MY FAULT YOU FORGOT YOUR PHONE ON YOUR BED.”

“I KNOW, I'M GOING TO GET IT” Liz shouted back through the window of the car, realizing that she was alerting the whole neighborhood.

“Liz, I thought you weren’t going to come home before midnight?” Rachel said, looking at her daughter running into the house.

“I know momma, but I forgot my phone upstairs. Sorry for the screams.”

“It’s fine, your mom used to be like that too. By the way, you look beautiful, sweetie. It’s amazing to see how… grown up you are. I remember when you were a baby, often so quiet, yet sometimes crying like hell. I’m just…”

Rachel wiped a tear from her eye. Her eyeliner had colored the tear on her finger.

“Aw, momma. Don't cry. It’s just a simple dress I'm wearing. Nothing more. But Em and Tara said that something was lacking. They called it _The Touch_ ”.

“I think I know what they mean, and I can help with that…”

Rachel went to the stand under the TV and grabbed an old looking wooden box. It was marked with a white line and had an inscription on top.

“See what it says there, Liz?”

“ _With love to my angel, Chloe.”_

 _“_ This was a gift from your mom to me. I wore it for years until it became impractical because of all the chores we had to do, and of course taking care of you and your brother. But you know, I think it should be used again for the purpose it was made for. Here, take it.”

Liz opened the box and saw an earring. Two feathers, one was a strong blue and the other light brown, maybe from some bird?

“Mom, this is… beautiful. I… don’t know what to say…”

“Just promise me to take good care of it, that's all I ask.”

"Can you help me with it, momma?"

"Sure... one second... here... and it's done. Oh look, it fits so well with that dress. I want your mom to see this, she's upstairs, show it to her."

Lisa ran upstairs into her room and grabbed her cellphone. She heard some noise coming from the bathroom and opened the door. Mom Chloe was busy with sorting out the laundry from the hamper.

"Hey mom, look what momma gave me."

Chloe turned around and looked at her daughter. And then she saw it. The earring. She held her hand in front of her mouth. "Oh god, Lizzie. It looks so beautiful on you. I'm getting a bit emotional here, sorry..."

"D-don't cry, mom. Momma said it was a gift from you."

"Yeah, she used to wear a similar earring for years, until it got lost. I bought her a new one as a Valentine's Day gift. I-it looks as good on you as it did on momma... you don't know half how much you resemble her... let me hug you for a second."

Liz smiled at her mom and hugged her right back. "I gotta go now, mom. Tara and Em are waiting."

"Have fun, darling!"

Liz ran back downstairs, and out of the house. Soon the three girls were driving towards the party.

 

***

 

"Whoa, Liz, where did you get that earring?"

"Yeah, like Em says, we never saw that one before..."

"M-my momma just gave it to me. It's actually a lot older than it looks. It was a g-gift from my other mom to her."

"Now that's an accessory that's going to get noticed. Good job. You're going to be popular..."

"Oh, shut up, Em."

Less than fifteen minutes later, they arrived at the site of the party. The music was clearly audible even outside.

The three of them were hardly through the door when Billy spotted them and walked over to welcome them. "Hey Liz, glad you're here. And you brought your friends, that's a surprise. But it's good, the party can use some more girls. Welcome, all of you. The drinks and snacks are over there... and for the _special_ entertainment, you know what I mean, just let me know. We gotta be careful you know.

Yeah, Liz knew what Billy meant. Weed. She promised herself she wasn't going to try. No way that she would smoke anything.

Before Liz even realized what was happening, Billy had asked Tara for a dance. _'Ugh...'_ , Liz thought, as she saw the two of them moving really close to each other. She was kind of jealous of Billy's confidence. And she knew that Tara really liked him. _'Just as long as they don't go upstairs or something'_ , Liz thought.

Emily turned to Lisa. "Shall we get something to drink? Do you want anything? I think they have beer and wine."

"Just some fruit juice, Em. If they have it. Or a soda."

"Don't be a square, Liz."

"I don't like beer, Em. I just want to try and not get drunk tonight, alright?"

"Suit yourself, Liz. I'll take a cocktail. Here's your fruit juice."

Liz really like the taste of pomegranate juice. And she had once seen a documentary which mentioned that pomegranates were a nutritious superfood. It was a surprise that a party like this had a juice like that available.

She started checking out the other partygoers. Lots of guys from Billy's football team. Of course. Some other girls from her class, and from Billy's class... probably. Then she saw someone she didn't know.

"Hey Em, who is that guy?"

"Him? You really don't know? That's Josh Prescott. Stay away from him, Liz, he's an asshole. His family thinks they own this town, even if his father lost most of the family fortune in the last decade. He's in Billy's class, strange that you didn't know who he was."

"Ugh. Em, I don't keep track of people who are not in my class, alright? But yeah, he looks kinda creepy..."

Not much later, Emily was also dancing with some guy. Liz knew that was another one of her brother's teammates. Now she was standing near the bar all by herself. Thinking. Then she remembered. Wasn't Kristi coming too? She had promised to be there. Liz looked around, no Kristi in sight.

She heard someone coughing.

"Ahem. Uh... sorry. I-I would really like to dance with you, if you want. Hello? Are you there?"

"U-uh... what? Sorry... I was... k-kinda lost in thought there."

"You're Liz Amber, right? Billy's sister? I'm Nick, one of his classmates, and also on the football team with him. You look really beautiful. I love that dress, and that earring is something else. Could I ask you for a dance?"

 _Thoughts_. Liz was processing the latest information. A dance couldn't hurt, right? And that guy wasn't the creepiest looking one, so why not?

"S-sure... n-no problem, Nick. I would like to... but... I'm not s-such a good dancer, really..."

"Doesn't matter, Liz. Let's just have some fun. Let's go!"

And there she was, dancing with a guy whose name she had only just learned. But it was kinda fun. He wasn't trying to chat her up... or touching her inappropriately. Just busting out some wild moves, and Liz kind of went along with the flow.

Liz looked around. Tara was still hanging on to Billy... ugh... Liz tried to wipe _certain thoughts_ from her head. After all, Tara had hinted at _pleasuring herself_ over the image of him. Then another thought... what if one day, Tara would be at their house, in his room... naked or something, she'd often mentioned her wish to fuck him. _'Yuck, go away, thought... go away like right now.'_

A further look established that Em was having fun too. Still, no Kristi anywhere. Where could she be? It was near 8 o'clock.

"Liz, I'm gonna go get something _special_ , OK? Do you want some?"

"Uhhh... no... no thanks Nick, I'm not into that sort of thing, I mean weed... sorry."

"No problem, I'll be back soon, I promise."

 _'Whatever'_ , Liz thought. She could swear she had felt Nick trying to mentally undress her with his eyes. Liz's body shuddered whilst thinking about it... boys... so many of them wanted _that_ same thing...

Then Liz heard some of the guys cheering. _Probably another stupid sexist joke or something._ She didn't really want to look, but then suddenly she realized it.

 _The girl_ had arrived. She couldn't help but staring... that dress... 'Wow', Liz thought. It looked like something straight out of the 1950s. But then a very modern equivalent of it. Even from the other side of the room, Liz could see that the dress _revealed_ certain features of Kristi, and _accentuated_ others. She had to quickly drink the contents of the glass she was carrying to shake her out of her _creepy-staring-mode_.

"Hey Liz, are you alright", Em said.

"S-sure... I'm f-fine, really... I was just spacing out, I think. It happens."

"Happens to you a lot, recently, doesn't it? Are you sure you're doing OK?"

"Y-yeah... d-don't worry...". Liz was really hoping Em wasn't starting to make connections between her spacing out episodes and the presence of _the girl_.

Tara and Billy joined the two of them.

"I'm gonna go find the toilet", Em said. She left the room and Tara joined her.

"So, Liz, you like the party so far?"

"S-sure, Billy. And you?"

"It's going great. I think I got myself a date with that friend of yours, Tara was her name, right?"

 _'God no'_ , Liz thought to herself, her worst fear confirmed. How many girls had he already _been with_ anyway? "Oh great, Billy. Good for you" Liz said.

"Which reminds me, Liz. My buddy Nick really likes you. He would really like to ask you out on a date, can I give him your phone number?"

Fuck... there Billy was again, trying to set her up with one of his friends. Lisa really wished he would stop trying to do that. But now she had to answer his question.

"I-I'm not s-sure... I mean... m-maybe... uhh... can this wait?"

"You dated Peter, that didn't work out, fine, time to move on, right? Give Nick a chance, Liz, come on. Like I said, he really likes you. You need to get out more."

"Y-yeah, I can g-guess what he wants... he was staring at me all the time... so... please... I'm not s-sure about this. Not now... m-maybe later... I'll think about it".

Lisa saw Billy frowning. But... her reaction seemed to do the trick.

"One last thing, Liz. Where did you get that earring? I've never seen that one before?"

"Oh... right... this used to belong to momma Rachel. She gave it to me earlier today, do you like it?"

"It looks great on you. Makes you stand out, that's good. You need to get more confident. Anyway, I'm heading that way. See you later!"

Billy walked away. Lisa noticed he was going to the same place where Nick had gone to get that _special_ thing. _'Liar'_ , Liz thought, he had said he didn't smoke not too long ago.

Lost in her own thoughts again. She was about to go get another drink, when all of a sudden, she heard a familiar voice behind her.

"Hi Liz, how are you doing? Sorry I'm late, I had... trouble... at home. Couldn't get away earlier."

Lisa turned around, and before she knew it her eyes met those of _the girl_ , Kristi. Liz had to strain herself to keep looking her in the eyes, and not stare at Kristi's _assets_.

“O-oh, it’s OK. N-no problem. I-I like that dress. I-it fits you well.”

“Oh, really? I don’t like to wear dresses, I think they’re useless. But, my mother gave this one to me. I think it makes me look ugly. Whatcha think?”

Liz couldn’t help but stare at the dress, while Kristi was doing a mini-spin. Thoughts. Oh my… god. She looks… amazing…

“I… uhh… I think it's... p-pretty…” Liz said, staring with wide eyes and open mouth.

“What, the dress or me?”

“W-what?”

“Joking, joking. Wait, are you blushing?”

“N-nothing. I was just… uhh…”

Kristi approached Liz and grabbed her left shoulder, both girls stared at each other.

“Don’t worry Liz, I think it's cute. I already said I like the way you blush…”

“Oh, I-uhh…”

Out of nowhere, Billy showed up. He had seen Kristi talk to Liz and thought he would try and use the opportunity to talk with her. Liz looked at her brother and saw him staring at Kristi as if he was mentally undressing her. Ugh, gross. Why, Billy, why?

“Oh, hey Liz. You didn’t tell me you had such a pretty friend…”

“Hey there Billy. You are Liz’s brother, correct? Nice to see you here.”

“Nice to meet you outside of Blackwell for once...”

“I can see a lot of your football buddies here.”

“Yes, Kristi, most of them are present and accounted for. Hey, what do you say if we go over there and talk about other… stuff?”

Why, Billy, why…

“Uh, no thanks. I’m good here with your sister.”

“Fine, suit yourself. I'm gonna go over there and grab some _special_ stuff. If you want to have some fun, call on me, alright pretty?”

“Ok…”

Billy left and went towards the area where they served the _special_ stuff.

Liz sighed for a moment. Then she turned to Kristi again to continue their talk.

“I’m so, so sorry about that. He can be a fool sometimes. I think the _special_ stuff doesn't agree with him tonight.”

“It’s OK, Liz. I’m… kinda used to be treated like that. I’m fine, really. Can we go like, outside? I need some fresh air…”

“Uhh, s-sure…”

Both girls made their way to the exit, walking past many of the people at the party. As soon as they reached the door, Liz saw her brother looking at them with a frown. Whatever.

There was a warm breeze in the air, ideal weather for summer clothes. It was good fortune that both girls were wearing summer dresses. There was some dim light outside, a few lamps had been placed outside of the party location. Kristi was standing near a tree with Liz at her side. No words were exchanged for a few moments, just looks and thoughts.

“It’s pretty warm here” Kristi said, breaking the silence.

“Y-yeah, it’s lucky I bought this dress…”

“Wait, did you just said ‘I bought’?”

“Uh, yeah. Why?”

“You didn't have a dress for this party?”

“I-uh, I don’t like fancy things. I have a really simple dress in my wardrobe, but it was for a family party we went to like 2 years ago. Don't even know if it still fits me.”

“Guess I'm not the only one who doesn't like wearing dresses. And yet here we are, both wearing one. It's funny. I think almost everything in my wardrobe would fit you. Even my bras.”

Liz blushed a bit more. After that last sentence, both girls went silent again. Only slow breaths were heard and looks were exchanged.

“Liz, would you… uh… dance with me?”

“W-what?”

“Y’know what, forget about it, it was a stupid question. Sorry, me and my big mouth---“

“No, don’t worry, I don't mind. But… why?”

“I… think I need some relief... from my home situation, from the party, from… everything…”

“Oh, I see…”

“Anyway, I don’t want to drag you down with my mood. So…” Kristi said, lifting her body and fixing her dress whilst she extended a hand towards Liz. “Liz, once again, would you dance with me?”

“Y-yes...”

They went to a more open area, away from the party. Their only light being the blue pale of the rising moon. Kristi grabbed Liz's left shoulder with one hand and placed her other hand at chest height. It wasn’t the best dance position, but it was a good one for a friendly dance.

“So… what we are dancing to?” Liz asked, still trying to adapt to the situation.

“Something slow, I think?”

“I left my phone in Tara's car...”

“I left mine at home...”

“Well, what we should use as music?”

“Maybe we should just hum to a song we both know?”

“OK, so… what song?”

“Do you know ‘Thinking out loud’? That's a golden oldie by some random Irish guy whose name I can't remember.”

“Y-yeah, I know that one.”

“So… we should start?”

“Sure...”

Both girls were soon in slow but full motion at the sound of them humming the song. It was a slow pace dance, with slow steps and some soft humming. There were laughs when Liz almost fell to the ground and when Kristi forgot the song, but it was all happy and peaceful. The blue moon shining in their faces and the dim light in the distance giving away the place where the party was ongoing.

Kristi slowly lowered her hands to Liz's waist and then they traveled towards her backside. The girls were closing the distance between them at a slow pace, their hands practically caressing the other's body. Their stares were like nails being slowly driven into sensitive parts of the body. They were both very aware of what was happening.

Their entire symphony seemed aimed at a particular outcome, yet neither of them knew how to get there without feeling awkward. Their faces came closer and closer 'til the point where both of them could feel the other's breath. Their gazes met and something clicked inside Liz's head. Their lips were now almost touching each other's. At that very moment, Billy came outside and walked through the yard. Suddenly, he saw both Kristi and Liz... doing whatever they were doing.

The second that Billy realized what was happening, he froze in place. Kristi saw Billy looking and almost screamed, but instead she closed her mouth and left all to imagination.

“B-Billy, w-what the hell are you doing here!?”

“Liz... I can see you… and her... you two were… whatever y---"

“P-please d-don’t say anything to our mothers... and I’ll not tell anything about the _special_ stuff. D-deal?”

'Fuck', Billy thought. Liz knew. So... mutual blackmail was going to be the outcome of this. “I... uhh… fine. Deal…” Billy left, frustrated that his attempt to hit on Kristi had been blocked by his own sister... dammit Lizzie.

“Good. See you back home!”

With that said, Liz and Kristi left the party and walked over to the improvised parking lot. Liz opened the door of Tara’s car and grabbed her phone. Good fortune. Kristi called towards Liz from some twenty yards away. “I’ll drop you off at home, Liz. You won't have to wait until your friends are done.”

“B-but... I can walk---“

“Nah uh. No way, you're come with me. Period.”

“F-fine, if you insist…”

 

***

 

The road to the Amber-Price residence was empty. Neither of the two girls. The only sounds audible, besides the songs playing on the radio, were their breaths.

When Kristi pulled over her car in front of Liz's house, Chloe was still downstairs, stuffing her mouth with some snacks, and collecting her usual glass-of-water-before-sleeping. It was a few minutes after midnight. but Chloe understood that her son and daughter would come a little later, it was fine. She had been a party girl herself, and Rachel also.

She heard a car stopping in front of the house and peeked out of the window, seeing her daughter smile and the other girl smiling as well. This was normal, but Chloe was intrigued. For a brief moment she considered opening the door for Lisa but instead she wanted to watch them a bit more.

///

“I’m still sorry about my brother being a dick. Like I said, he can be like that sometimes.”

“Don't worry about it, Liz. It's alright. But, it’s past midnight and my father will kill me. But maybe, just maybe it's all worth it... because of one thing...”

“What? An awkward dance? My brother being an idiot?”

“No, I mean this…”

Kristi approached Liz and cupped her cheeks with both hands, kissing her on the lips with a simple, soft kiss. The kiss lasted... Kristi grabbed both of Liz's hands and pinned them to the sides of her dress.

When their lips parted, they were breathing each other in the face. Their gazes met one more time and this time it was a tentative stare. Something that seemed like it might be prohibited yet made them both feel alive.

“I… I need to… get inside. B-bye Kris…”

“Bye Liz. Sleep well, sweetie…” Kristi said, leaving Liz in front of the house and slowly walking backwards to her car, trying to keep eye contact a bit more, 'til she bumped into the car's door.

///

Chloe almost fell over when she saw that Liz _kissed_ that girl. That was no ordinary peck-on-the-cheek kind of kiss. Chloe started to panic. If Liz saw her, she might suspect Chloe had witnessed the whole thing secretly. Chloe rushed towards the stairs and quickly tip-toed upstairs, trying not to kick something or miss one of the stairs and fall catastrophically downwards where Liz would certainly find her.

Chloe wasn't bothered by her daughter coming home a bit later than what had been agreed. Their kids were both teenagers and needed to be given a little leeway. That was fine. Chloe's mind was focused on the _very obvious_ fact that she saw her daughter kiss another girl. A serious kiss. Almost a Tempest kind of kiss, the one Chloe remembered from all those years ago, when she and Rachel had kissed for the very first time. And how amazing Chloe had felt throughout the whole scene... which was another reason to get out of the way quickly, so that Liz's moment wasn't going to be ruined like theirs had been. That moment when Rachel's father told them about Rachel's real birth mother.

But seeing her own daughter kissing was... shocking... in a good way. Then again, maybe she and Rachel should have been ready for something like this. Maybe the _‘talk_ ’ they had in the morning had triggered something. Maybe something that she and Rachel had done had affected Lisa. Whatever had caused it, Chloe had not expected _this_ kind of thing to happen, but she wasn't angry at all, quite the contrary. Liz was starting to look more like them every day.

A thought passed through Chloe's mind. If Rachel was still awake, they would need to have a small talk about what Chloe had just witnessed.

///

As soon as Liz closed the front door, she felt weighed down by everything that had happened. She walked very slowly. The sheer number of thoughts traveling through her mind could not be counted. She touched her own lips with her fingers, still smelling Kristi's perfume... the smell of lavender... the warm sensation in her mouth. A small smirk formed in the corner of her mouth, her emotions were consuming her now that the entire situation had passed.

One thing was sure from now: _this girl_ … made her feel different, made her act different and even made her look at the world different. The way that _this girl_ had changed everything made her smile. She let out a few small giggles. Also, that final thing... _back there_ … on the other side of the front door... made her realize another thing. Any friendly and professional boundaries formed between them had been crossed... clearly so. At least, that’s what Liz's brain was telling her.

She dragged her own body towards the stairs and turned off the lights. It was _weird_ that those lights had all been on. Maybe one of her mothers had simply forgotten to switch them off. Sure, that must be it. Liz passed by the door of her mothers' bedroom. She heard some murmuring... _probably_ just them whispering sweet nothings in each other's ears, as usual. Whatever it was, Lisa decided she wasn't going to interrupt it. She had spent enough time in the house to know that sometimes it’s better to sleep with earbuds in.

As soon as she passed through the door of her room, and closed it, she felt alive. It was as if a feeling of relief was passing through her body. She kicked off her shoes, took off her dress and threw it towards her desk's chair. She changed into fresh undies and one of her oversized tees.

She was about to fall onto the bed when the outside sight caught her. What a beautiful night it was. The stars were shining brightly and the skies were clear. She hadn't seen that too frequently. It was amazing.

Her momma always used to tell her since she was a child that ‘ _Stars are the beauty that show in the night, they remind us of the beauty beyond, the beauty we cannot see’..._ or something like that…

Now, the words her momma had told her suddenly seemed to make sense. Even if things were bad, there was always beauty beyond it. ' _Heh, I guess I discovered the meaning 16 years later. Bravo Liz…'_

Her phone started buzzing. She picked it up and fell onto her bed. School was back on the schedule the next day, so she needed to sleep well if she wanted to be able to catch more than one thing the professors would be saying. She checked the messages she had received and was not surprised when she saw they were from Kristi.

**_Kristi: Hey Liz, I just wanted to wish you a good night again._ **

**_Kristi: Now thinking about it all, it sounds kinda stupid, but fuck it, I enjoyed our time together_ **

**_Kristi: Anyways, bye. C’you tomorrow grrl ♥_ **

_Grrl. G-r-r-l. Does that… mean something? With the heart coming after it?_ Liz thought, trying to focus.

But she was too tired, and soon fell asleep.

///

 _“Rach, are you awake?”_ Chloe whispered whilst she covered her body with the sheets

“Chlo, every time you leave the bed, you make enough sound to wake even the neighbor's cat” Rachel said while turning towards Chloe.

“Sorry, old habits die hard. Anyway, I need to talk to you about a very delicate subject.”

“Did you start another fight with the neighbor because he left his trash bin blocking our car again?”

“No, not this time, luckily. I don’t want to be punching people again...”

“So, what's going on?”

“Remember the talk we had this morning?”

“Yeah… why?”

“Well… maybe we should have seen things coming Rach…”

“Uh, what, seen what coming?”

“ _Maybe_ , something _clicked_ inside our daughter’s head this morning…”

“W-wait. W-what are you trying to tell me Chlo?”

“I was just downstairs for a few snacks and a glass of water, then I heard a car stopping in front of our house so I decided to peek out from the window. And guess who I saw? That same girl Liz brought to our house yesterday.”

“… so?”

“So, I saw both of them talking and laughing. So far, so good, right? But I was not expecting what happened next. _This girl_ basically… kissed our daughter. I mean kiss-kiss, Tempest-like” Chloe said, leaving Rachel wide eyed, staring at Chloe in disbelief.

Rachel grabbed a pillow and used it to muffle her scream “ _WHAT?”_

“Shush, Rach, she will hear you!”

“Sorry for screaming... you're saying that _OUR DAUGHTER KISSED ANOTHER GIRL_ ” Rachel said, in a loud-whisper tone.

“Does it bother you?”

“It doesn’t bother me, it just makes me worried about her. Imagine if she accepted the kiss in the heat of the moment. Imagine if she didn't really want to. Imagine if her friends don’t accept her as lesbian. Or even if she is bi. It just… _ugh.”_

Chloe hugged Rachel and that took away her blonde bombshell's concerns. Rachel kissed Chloe's lower neck and left a hickey, whilst letting all of her thoughts go.

“T-thanks for that, Rach.”

“No problem, honey. Always.”

Both women stayed like this for a moment, letting the silence of the night overtake them.

“So… how do we talk about this with Liz?” Rachel said, looking at the ceiling.

“I… don’t know.”

“Why am I feeling what life just dropped us a _déjà vu_ , one generation delayed?”

“Heh, I’m sure my mom was in the same position all those years ago…”

“But should we talk to her? Throw hints? Maybe invite that girl over as well?”

“I think we’re still in the phase where we might be assuming things. I… think we should wait until we know for sure. Then we can sit down with Liz and have another one of those awkward talks. I'm sure that's how Joyce must have felt when I told her I was a lesbian, and you were my girlfriend.”

“Yeah, Chlo. I remember those days. Your mom seemed to have known all along, even when you were hanging out with that guy. Well, I’m still too awake to sleep. Anything in mind?”

“Well, Rach, if you want me to tease you for a change, I can do it, I learned from the best. I have something in mind…” Chloe showed Rachel a pair of handcuffs.

Rachel smiled when she saw them. “Well, officer Price, I’ve been naughty today. You should arrest me…”

“Naughty huh? Anything else, Rach? Any more confessions?”

“You need more evidence to book me?” Rachel said, lifting her red t-shirt and revealing her black bra.

Chloe displayed her trademark pervy grin. “I've got enough on you... you are under arrest, Rachel Amber... you are sentenced to serve Chloe Price this night... first, let me remove these items from your body...”

 

***

 

The next morning, Liz woke up in her bed with a dry throat and the sound of voices coming from the kitchen downstairs. There were more voices than usual. _Maybe one of Billy's friends had come inside and had been offered something to eat. Typical._

Her cellphone was on her nightstand, there were some notifications and some messages. The chat group with Tara and Em had been surprisingly active during the night and early morning.

**_Tara: I still can’t believe what happened last night. I just can’t. I'm still dreaming._ **

**_Em: LEAVE THE GD GROUP BEFORE LIZ FINDS OUT WHAT YOU DID_ **

**_Me: Uh, what_ **

**_Tara: OHSHITBYE_ **

**_ Tara left the chat _ **

**_Em: Oh, hello Liz_ **

**_Me: Spit it out. What did I miss?_ **

**_Em: Fuck it, Tara probably kissed your brother and they did other things_ **

**_Me: wait... WHAT_ **

**_Em: she went upstairs with him at the party, if you want the kinky dtails, ask her_ **

**_Me: You already know the dtails, don’t you?_ **

**_Em: … maybe._ **

**_Me: Ugh... why doesn’t it surprise me_ **

**_ All users are offline _ **

_Sigh. Why doesn’t it surprise me... they probably banged... right? Why I’m even asking myself for confirmation?_

_Well, a shower, breakfast, school and… K-Kristi…_

The sudden thought was a cold-water bucket to her body. Her mind reproduced what had happened the previous evening, and it gave her the shivers.

_I… she… I… kissed... a… girl... I liked it... why does it feel so… normal? It’s not normal, I mean… my mothers are like ‘that’ but… why does it feel so… good? Genetics? That's why? I… uh… I don’t know. It felt so… wow… Cold shower. ASAP._

Usually, a cold shower was useful to wake her up properly and take any stress and bad vibes out of her body, but today, it was needed for the other meaning.

She picked out a few clothes. Skinny black jeans, a pale lumberjack flannel with hoodie and a pair of water colored Converse sneakers. Also, she put in the earring that momma Rachel had given to her. The brilliant colors were so vivid that it was funny to imagine her momma wearing it, all those years ago. It sure as anything didn't look old at all. After choosing her outfit to wear later, she went running to the bathroom and bumped into almost everything on the way.

The drops of water splashing onto her back made Liz think about stuff. The shower, the bathroom, the people downstairs, the really good sleep she had enjoyed, the feeling of happiness on her mind, the warm sensation she could still sense on her lips from when Kristi had kissed her…

_Wait… why do I keep repeating that whole scene in my mind? W-why… what am I?_

Liz shut off the water, keeping her hand on the faucet.

_I can’t get her out of my mind, I want to see her again… Why?_

_I feel that I… need… her… am I... should I say the word? Am I like my moms?_

Liz realized that thought wasn't going to go away. She grabbed her towel and wrapped it around her body. After drying herself, she went back to her room and got dressed.

The warm sensation of clothes on her body was comforting, and the smell of food downstairs made her drool and feel hungry.

As soon as she made her way to the kitchen, a familiar voice sounded. Correction, three familiar voices of people who were not her parents, her brother or her friends.

When she peeked around the corner, she almost gasped audibly. There they were, the art teachers, seated and drinking what seemed to be coffee whilst talking with her mothers.

_W-what are they doing here? Did I do something wrong? And why does mom Chloe look so happy talking to them? And… what? Sophie is here too?! What's going on?_

Sophie Caulfield appeared from the couch near the lounge, wearing a black sweater, glasses and jeans. Also, this time, she was carrying a brown bag on her back with faded pins.

Liz started to retreat towards the stairs, despite feeling hungry. She didn't want an awkward meeting. At least not now.

But as soon as she started her retreat, she accidentally stumbled over a bag containing what seemed like books.

_"Shit, shit, shit!"_

_“Liz? Are you there?”_

_“Uh, y-yeah, I’m here mom!”_

_“Come here dear! I want to tell you something!”_

_“Sure, coming...”_

_Shit, stupid books…_

She walked into the kitchen, grabbed a chair, and sat herself down at the table, trying to look anywhere but towards the teachers.

“Uh, hello Mrs. Caulfield, Mrs. Gingrich, Sophie.”

“Hello Liz! Nice to see you again.” Mrs. Caulfield said, looking at Chloe almost immediately after.

“She seems _so_ much like you, _Che_. I mean her presentation, the way she moves.”

“Yeah. Though physically she resembles Rachel more, her hair too.” Mrs. Gingrich said, looking wide eyed at Liz.

“Oh, don't you dare, Steph.”

“Uh, sorry, mom, can I ask why they are here this morning?”

“Oh yeah, that. Well, your momma and I think we need to make some things clear, honey" Chloe said, lifting herself up and walking over to Mrs. Caulfield.

“Well, a _very_ long time ago, when I was a kid, I had a friend. Freckles, brown hair, and very cute. We were inseparable and unstoppable. But shortly after my dad, your grandfather, died, she and her parents moved to another city. I didn't hear from her again for a long time… until I found out a few years ago she was doing photography in New York. I said “ _good for her”,_ but we still didn't have any contact. And not too long ago, I found out she was back here. Liz, I’m glad to present to you my childhood friend Maxine Caulfield. Or aunt Max, however you want to have it.”

"And..." Max said, looking at Steph.

Chloe laughed. “Ah yes, I almost forgot. The best Dungeon Master ever, my agony aunt, Arcadia Bay's Gandalf the Gay, my former classmate Stephanie Gingrich, or aunt Steph, because as we also found out, she and Max got married years ago. And of course, you already met their daughter Sophie."

 _Thoughts._ Dammit moms, do they all know each other? Who else is part of the unofficial family? Liz quickly grabbed a cup of coffee, hoping that it would help her process all the new information.

"U-uh yeah. I met them in art class last week. It was really cool. And I also bumped into Sophie at school... and saw her again at the diner."

"You mean I bumped into you, Liz. Sorry for that, once again" Sophie said.

"Mrs. Caulfield... I mean Max will bring you and Sophie both to school in half an hour."

"Sure mom, can I have some of those scrambled eggs, please?" Liz asked Chloe.

"Of course you can, dear. There you go."

"Liz, did you know that Mrs. Gingrich... Steph... helped your mom and me in the beginning of our relationship?" Rachel said.

"N-no... I-I never heard that story."

"Oh yeah", Chloe said. "I told Steph that I had met Rachel at an underground concert at the Old Mill, which sadly burned down years ago. I wanted to ask your future momma out on another date but didn't know how. She helped set up another meeting... and we went from there."

Rachel blew Chloe a kiss, much to the amusement of Max and Steph. Sophie fixed her glasses in place and looked at Liz. "Your moms are as cool as mine, we're so lucky."

The front door opened, and in came Billy.  He tried to ignore the whole scene and headed to the stairs, but then Chloe called him over.

"Where have you been, young man? You weren't in your room this morning!"

"Uh... sorry... mom. I was so tired... I fell asleep in my car. Had a bit too much to drink, I guess, and I decided not to drive."

"Good, you don't want to damage the car I worked so hard to repair. By the way, I want you to meet my childhood friend Max as well, you may know her as Mrs. Caulfield. And this is her wife, Mrs. Gingrich. Also, their daughter Sophie Caulfield."

"Yeah, I know them, mom. Pleased to see you all here. Can I go upstairs? I need a quick shower and a chance of clothes. Sleeping in the car made them like they are now."

Billy went upstairs. Max looked at Sophie and suggested that Billy was a handsome young man. Sophie seemed to nod somewhat in the affirmative.

Liz couldn't stop thinking _. 'Ugh... them too? And Billy, you liar. You weed smoking creep, you tried to steal Kristi from me... uhh... wait... why I am being so possessive? And now I have to spend all day visualizing you and Tara banging each other. Yuck... why... Billy... why? Leave my friends alone. But... keep my secret and I'll keep your secret... or should that be secrets? Yeah... I know more of him than he does of me, so he better keep his mouth shut.'_

Chloe announced it was time for the two young girls to go to school. Max and Steph got up, and they all said goodbye to each other. Chloe stayed behind with Rachel.

"I gotta go too, Chloe. Work isn't waiting... will you be alright on your own?"

"You betcha, Rach. I'll be imagining what I'm gonna do to you the next time I'm _'arresting'_ you. It was so hot to do the handcuffs thing again last night, I want more of it... I mean lots more..."

"Me too, C, me too. Let me kiss you before I go..."

 

***

 

Not long after Mrs. Caulfield, now known to Liz as Max, parked her car. Liz had met up with her friends Tara and Emily again. Still fifteen minutes to go before the start of chemistry class. Time to confront Tara. Face-to-face

"Hey, good morning Liz. How are you th---"

"--- what happened, T? You and my brother... what did you do?"

"Uhh... we just... uhh... well, you know... things..."

"Em said she already knew... you told her? _What_ and _when_?"

Tara was blushing like she never had before. "I... eh... maybe... told her... this morning, before you came online..."

"My brother came home this morning... this morning! Not last night... why?"

"You really wanna know, Liz? You sure?"

"Yeah... spill the beans. Did you---"

"--- Bang him? Yes, I did, so what? You were nowhere to be seen, and he was very friendly. You know I like him. He's handsome and he suggested we go upstairs. Things happened. I wanted it... he wanted it... so we did it. And then again in his car... he brought me home early this morning. And we're dating again Friday night. Happy?"

Liz was processing all the revelations. Thoughts. _'And again in his car... that sure explains everything. Gross... yuck... somebody pass me a barf bag... you sex maniacs...'_

Emily interrupted. "So, T, I suppose that's your V-card punched?"

Tara showed the other two girls a huge grin, leaving little doubt about the answer.

 _'Ugh, why did I even ask'_ , Liz thought _. 'Before you know it they end up at our house... same night that my moms usually like to get freaky... great... potential for two rooms with certain sounds... maybe someone at home has sleeping pills available?'_

Liz looked around. No sight of Kristi anywhere. But no reason to panic. Maybe she was inside already, or perhaps a little late. It was all possible. The school bell rang, it was time to go to chemistry class.

 

***

 

After school Liz said goodbye to Tara and Em. They would meet again the next day. She walked over to the parking lot where her mom Chloe was already waiting. It had been a strange day. Tara's revelations... and _the girl_ was missing. No one had seen Kristi at all. Liz had even asked her brother Billy because he was in her class. He hadn't seen her either, though he had heard her parents had called her in sick.

During the car ride home, Liz texted Kristi a few more times. She had already done that during lunch break, but no answer. Nothing. That was weird, Kristi wasn't exactly the shy type, and usually quick to answer.

"What are you doing?" Chloe asked her daughter.

"N-nothing... just texting friends..."

"OK, good. Did you enjoy your day in school?"

"N-not really. Chemistry is so difficult. Half the time I had no idea what the professor was even talking about..."

"You want me to help you? Chemistry was my specialty..."

"S-sure... maybe n-next week?"

"Deal... you know Liz, I'm so proud of you. You're going to be a beautiful young woman. I wish nothing for you but happiness. You know that, right? Momma and I love you so much."

"I-I know, mom... you k-keep telling me... I really a-appreciate it..."

"You can always come to us with any problems, OK? Rachel and I are always willing to sit down and talk about anything you want. We love hearing from you and your brother."

 _'Strange'_ , Liz thought. _'Why would mom bring that up right now? The thing with Kristi... no... I can't tell them yet... I need to figure out my own mess first... I think it might be more than just a friendship... but I need some time..._

"T-thank you, mom. I love you too. I think I'm gonna do some stuff in my room after dinner, is that OK?"

"Of course, it is your time so you can do what you want. But tomorrow night grandma Joyce expects you at the diner, remember? Maybe on Wednesday you want to watch a movie with me and momma?"

"I didn't forget a-about the j-job, mom. And I think I would love to watch a movie with you both. Is it gonna be one of the classics?"

"Maybe, sweetie. Momma wants to watch that Twilight movie again. Did you ever see it? I don't really remember if you did..."

Liz thought for a moment. "No, I don't think I've ever seen it. Which one is it?"

"The one with the weird non-vampire vampire. Ugh... I don't know why your momma likes it so much... hopefully I can talk her into another movie, or maybe we'll just let you pick... yeah that sounds like a good idea, Rach can't refuse you!"

Chloe giggled at having found a way she thought would help her escape having to watch Twilight again. Though she did have a really happy memory about watching Twilight. That one time when she had stayed over at Rachel's house, when Rachel had promised her some _sexy time_ in exchange for Chloe watching Twilight with her. Damn... her blonde beauty had never looked so hot, wearing those fancy undies... seducing her with _that_ smile, _that_ wink and _those_ touches... and back then it had seemed that Rachel always put on a different lipstick every day... and Chloe thought Rachel's lips just kept tasting better and better.

Back to reality, and not much later, Chloe and Lisa arrived home. Momma Rachel was already there, once more preparing dinner. Whilst sitting on the couch, Liz heard Rachel say to Chloe that Billy was staying over at friends and would not join the dinner.

Liz tried calling Kristi, but no answer. Dejected, she joined her moms at the dinner table, and the evening progressed... without even a single message from Kristi, not even an emoji... Liz imagined she felt pain in her chest. Kristi's absence was already affecting her. She even softly cried a little bit, hiding it from the others in the house by pressing her face into her pillow.

_What if… she …didn’t like it? What if she was trying… with me? What if...?_

 

***

 

The next day was more of the same. Getting up, breakfast, going to school, meeting Em and Tara, unwanted thoughts about Tara and Billy, unanswered text messages and calls to Kristi, attending classes and all that. Liz had been excited about going to work with grandma Joyce at the diner that evening, because she hoped that Kristi would be there. But Kristi was not there. Joyce told Liz that Kristi's father had called her in sick.

"What's going on Lizzie, you look a little lost…" Joyce said.

"I-I don't know, grandma. A lot on my mind, I suppose. But I'm fine, nothing serious."

"That's great, dear. Tonight, I'm going to need you to make and serve the coffee all by yourself, can you do that?"

"S-sure... i-it's not that hard. Thanks for helping me, grandma..."

"Don't mention it. I'm very proud of you. You're really starting to look like your momma Rachel, I remember when I first saw her... Chloe, your mom, had only just had her coming out, even though I knew already, despite that weird boy she hung around with for some time. You wouldn't believe how straightforward she told me. She was like _'Mom, I'm a lesbian, and Rachel is my girlfriend'._ And not much later, I saw Rachel coming into our house for the first time... they were quite the couple back then, two hellraisers. You have Rachel's looks... especially when wearing that earring. If you grew your hair out a little more, there'd hardly be a difference, maybe the hair color."

"M-maybe... she is my momma after all."

Some thoughts passed through Liz's mind. _'Why is grandma bringing this up now? Did someone tell her? Or was it so transparent what Kristi meant to her? Was it really still a secret or did everyone already know about her feelings for Kristi, and they were just waiting for her to confirm it to them? Surely not...'_

The rest of the work shift passed, and Chloe came to take Liz home again. The rest of the week progressed very slowly, apart from the movie night Liz enjoyed with her moms. No matter how many text messages she sent Kristi, no matter how many times she tried to call her, no reply. Nothing. More muffled cries could be heard from Liz's room, that is if anyone was listening at the door, which no one did all week long.

Back from school on Friday, Liz was in her room. Billy was out on his date with Tara, her moms were watching some TV series downstairs, and Liz had given up all hope. Until suddenly her phone started buzzing. Liz could hardly drag herself towards her desk to pick it up, but at the last moment decided to do so anyway...

Her mouth was wide open from the surprise. It was _her_. A few text messages.

**_Kristi: Liz, I am so, so sorry for not contacting you, but my dad took my phone when I came home from the party, he locked me in my room all week long._ **

**_Kristi: Don't want to scare you, but I need to see you, tomorrow, it's real urgent._ **

**_Kristi: I won't come to work, so don't wait there for me, please come to the junkyard as soon as you can._ **

**_Kristi: I need to tell you the truth. You're the only one I trust._ **

**_Kristi: I can't live here anymore_ ** **_._ **

 

***

 

Saturday was a cloudy day. Some drops of rain had already been delivered by the clouds above. Grandma Joyce gave Lisa a day off after the latter suggested she would go and visit Kristi at home, which was a half-lie. She was going to see Kristi, but not at her house. Judging by what Kristi had told her the day before, it was not going to be a very happy meeting. Lisa wondered if that was the reason that the sky was cloudy today.

Liz made her way to the junkyard, carrying an umbrella with one hand. She hoped the rain wouldn't get worse, because she remembered that the roof of the outhouse was leaky.

She passed by the old school bus and went straight for the outhouse near the train tracks. As soon as she entered the ramshackle building, she immediately dropped everything she was carrying.

She didn't believe what she was seeing.

Kristi was crouched on the ground, her phone in one hand and what seemed like a bottle of wine in the other. Her face was covered by her hair, but Liz could see some eyeliner already smudged all over Kristi's face which was drowning in tears. Those were dark tears. Also, her left arm was covered with a long dark cloth sleeve.

Liz couldn’t find the words to describe what her mind was processing right now. An infinite amount of thoughts was passing through her head. And then, something _clicked_ inside her mind. The last message Kristi had sent to her.

_I can’t live here anymore._

Kristi sniffled a bit and cleared her throat, so she would be able to talk with a kind of clear tone.

“H-hey Liz. H-how’re you?”

“I-I’m good, I think… h-how about you? You didn’t talk to me in a w-week… w-why’re you---”

Kristi lifted her head so she could look Liz in the face. And then Liz noticed...

_Oh my… god…_ _oh no…_

There was a deep purple bruise on Kristi’s right cheek, so big it almost reached her eye.

_Oh my god_ _... no…_

“K-Kris… w-who did this to you? Who did this?”

Kristi turned her head down and tried to ignore the conversation, looking to the other side.

“Kristi, talk to me! Who did this to you?! Who was it?!”

Kristi was not going to talk. Or at least it seemed that way to Liz.

“Please... talk to me! Tell me, please, I beg you! Who was it?! For fucks sake Kris, talk to me!”

Kristi lifted her body, recoiled at the sight of the obviously worried Liz and threw the wine bottle towards the wall.

Then she screamed...

“IT WAS MY _DAD_! IT WAS MY… fucking… dad…” Kristi's crying intensified.

Liz couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Kristi was walking aimlessly inside the cabin. Then, she slowly fell to the ground, grabbing her knees and pulling them towards her chest.

“… that night… when I came home after leaving you… he was waiting for me…” Kristi said, sobbing all the while through.

“… he smelled like beer and… and he just stood in front of me and he just… he just… punched me into MY _FUCKING FACE…_ he just… kicked me like I was nothing… nothing…”

Liz was not moving at all, shocked at the revelations, trying to process what she has just heard.

 _“_ …then he took my phone and… locked me into my room… I couldn’t text you… I couldn’t---”

Liz wrapped her arms around Kristi’s back and hugged her tight. Probably the tightest hug she had ever given anyone. Kristi cried for what seemed to be hours, though in reality it was only a few minutes. Painful minutes... Liz realized she couldn’t do anything for her now. She felt powerless...  useless...

Kristi kept crying. It was the first time Liz saw Kristi broken like this. She heard Kristi’s cries turning into sobs. They were the only sound in that desolated place, apart from the rain.

Then, she talked with shaky voice. Almost a whisper.

“…sometimes... the way my dad talks to my mother… I think I’m unwanted... not my mom, but my dad only...”

That was probably the worst thing Liz had heard in her whole life so far.

“… some days, when people at school ask why I have those bruises… I wanted to tell them the truth... but I’m not able..." She swallowed her cry. “… I’m not… brave enough to tell them... or to put a gun to his head… or to my own…”

_O-oh… my god Kris. W-why?_

“… that day... when I met you at the Two Whales... I decided I wanted to know more about you. I guess... I kinda liked you right from the start... maybe you’re the… reason I'm still here, in this town. Like today, now.”

“Kris… I…”

“It's fine Liz. No one could describe how bad I am with words, how worthless I am...”

“Kris… you’re _not..._ worthless.... You’re… amazing. I can barely describe you with words. The way you… you make me feel is… impossible to express with words. This week when… you didn’t... couldn't talk to me… I felt like shit. Because I wanted to see _you_ _._ I cried because I wanted to see _you..._ again. And I would cry _every fucking night_ if that means I would eventually see you again…”

“Liz…”

Kristi saw Liz, with teary red eyes, trying to suppress further crying. Brown hair covering parts of her face, and maybe one untouched tear still running down her left cheek.

Liz saw Kristi, with her eyeliner all faded, not crying anymore. Her eyes fully red and puffy. Her lips slightly apart, every shaky exhale making a little bit of hair dance in front of her face.

Kristi lifted a hand and placed it on Liz's left cheek of Liz, wiping away that last tear. Then, she moved her hand up and down Liz's face. Liz looked at Kristi with a look of confusion. Then, she smirked as well as blushed. Kristi left out an amused sigh at the sight of Liz blushing.

“… have I told you that I like the way you blush?”

“Y-yeah. Maybe 2 or 3 times…”

Their faces became closer and closer. Liz was staring at Kristi’s face with her mouth slightly open. A shiver ran down her spine. Moments like this were always confusing to her. There was usually _something_ lacking in these kinds of situations. But what was it? A hug, maybe some kind of word or a phrase---

Liz's thoughts were cut off by a kiss from Kristi. Liz moved her head slightly to her side so she would be more comfortable. But she wasn’t prepared for the tongue suddenly intruding her mouth. Feeling the other girl's discomfort, Kristi retreated and felt guilty.

“I-I’m sorry, I thought you--- I mean, I expected that you wanted--- _ugh._ I-I’m sorry, that was a stupid thing to do and---”

“N-no, no... I-it's fine. I… I liked it…” Liz said, blushing even more than before.

Kristi sighed in relief and looked down, a light blush covering her face. Liz placed a hand on her shoulder and squeezed gently.

“Hey...”

Kristi sighed again and looked at Liz. This time, it was Liz who closed the distance between them and placed her lips on Kristi’s mouth. A full-on kiss, both girls leaving their mouths somewhat open, tongue touching tongue... both determined to make it last.

When their lips parted, both girls looked each other in the eyes. Liz’s chest was moving up and down, breathing in and out in an uncontrolled manner.

They both laughed, or more precisely giggled in a soft tone. They remained like this for a few moments, silence consuming the air. It seemed too much for Kristi, because she lifted her head, straightened her position and looked clearly and directly at Liz. Then came the question.

“Liz. Pretend for a moment that I would say I was leaving town, asking you to come... with me. Would you _go_ with _me_?”

That took Lisa off guard. She felt as if a bucket filled with cold water was just dropped on her head, she shivered from the imaginary chilly water.

Also, the question had come entirely unexpected. But after a moment's hesitation, she answered.

“I-I d-don’t know. Maybe. Why?”

“What I said about my… dad… everything... I want to leave everything behind. The town, school, my life, everything. Just… leave and forget. Hit the road and never come back. Would you come with me…?”

“Kristi, I-I…”

“I-I know I should not even be thinking of asking you this. I know you have a loving family, I know you have your life, your friends, your brother, but I would _not_ ask you if I didn’t trust you. You're the only one I trust. I would understand if you said no, I would never hold it against you. But still... I want you to come with me. Would you?”

Kristi was surely asking too much. Leaving everything behind? Family? Her loving moms, her annoying but still protective brother, grandma Joyce, her friends...

But it wasn’t her brother asking her or one of her friends. It was Kristi. A girl she met working at her grandma's diner, a girl who had been wearing a skirt and flannel. She had no reason to go, but _this_ girl changed the whole play. She made Liz feel different, act and see things in a different way, experiencing a bond she had never felt with anyone. She was a broken person who seemed to place love in her, and hope.

_I was... the reason... for her to not… do a stupid thing. I'm sure she would do the same for me…_

At this point, all seemed so unreal. But something made this a different thing. _She_ made this a different thing. And then, Liz heard a word coming out of her own mouth.

“Yes.”

Simple yet firm.

Kristi approached Liz and hugged her tightly. Liz kept in place, accepting the embrace. Kristi saw Liz staring at the ground.

“Hey” she said, lifting Liz’s chin with her hand, carefully and soft. “I-I know I’m asking too much, but we’ll make it work. I swear.”

“I’m sure we will” Liz said, with a smile on her face.

Kristi softly played around with Liz's hair. “I like that earring. It’s pretty.”

“O-oh, thanks.” Liz said, blushing once more.

Liz looked to at her phone. 7 o'clock in the evening. The rain had slowed to a drizzle.

“I-I really have to go. My moms are probably waiting for me.”

“Oh, alright. Let me take you home. No problem. And don’t try that ‘ _I can walk’_ thing on me again _.”_

 _“_ Ok, fine. I’m not going to change my mind if that's what you're thinking.”

“Good” Kristi said, placing a kiss on Liz's right cheek.

“ _C’mon Liz! Let’s go before the heavens change their mind and make it rain again!”_

 _“_ Coming!”

Liz moved, but her mind was already at work again. _Thoughts._

_After all that happened. All that just she told me, and all that we have done and decided. Where does this place us? Friends? Or…_

_Ugh. Later, brain._

Liz started to focus on the way to Kristi's car, trying to distract herself, it worked a bit, but not as good as she wanted. She left the junkyard with that one question in her mind. _Where does this leave us?_ She would probably ask Kristi later.

But, later...

 

***

 

They arrived at the Amber-Price residence, and both girls got out of the car. They were almost at the door when Kristi, who was behind Liz, grabbed her hand and dragged her backwards, hugging her yet again.

Liz was surprised and asked “W-what is this one for?”

“Thanks again. And also, a pretty girl deserves a good hug, often.”

“O-oh” Liz blushed deeper, and hugged back, resting her head on Kristi’s shoulder.

The moment seemed so peaceful, as if either of them could scream and nobody would hear. Following up on the hug, Kristi gave Liz a quick kiss on the cheek. It seemed like good fun.

Then, suddenly “Hey girls! How are you both?”

Liz froze in place, still in Kristi’s arms.

She didn’t need to look back to know who was talking to them.

Her mother Chloe.

Liz separated herself from Kristi but in blind panic pushed her away. Kristi stumbled but stayed afoot. Liz was not that lucky, she fell onto the ground.

“Liz! Baby, anything wrong?” Chloe said, moving over to where Liz was and pulling her back up.

“Y-yes, I’m fine.”

“Yeah, sure…” Chloe said, frowning slightly at the sight of the two girls. “Anyway, momma and I are going to see Max and Steph, your sort-of-aunts. We’ll be away for 2-3 hours, give or take. There's no one home, we're not expecting to see your brother anytime soon. So, don’t set the house on fire. And you can invite your… _friend..._ if you want. I don’t have a problem with that.

Chloe looked behind her. " _C’mon Rach, they’re waiting for us!”_

 _“For fucks sake, sexy, I’m coming---_ ”. Rachel exited the house and saw _that_ _girl_ standing next to their daughter. Chloe, unseen to Lisa and Kristi mouthed _it’s_ _her_ to her wife. Rachel couldn’t help smiling but managed to keep calm at the situation. Years of acting helped her with the performance.

“Oh, hello there…” Rachel said, doing an intricate gesture with her left hand whilst asking for her name.

“O-oh, I’m Kristina Jade. Just call me Kristi.”

“Hello, Kristi. Nice to meet you. I suppose you're both going inside? That's fine with us. But please don’t set up the house on fire, like I suppose my lovely wife already asked you.”

“S-she did. Thanks, I don’t want to cause any problem by being here---”

“What do you mean? You’re more than welcome here! You’re not a problem, you’re a person.”

“Stop copy-pasting my words Rach. Let’s go, it’s late!”

“Yeah, fine, coming. See you two later!”

“C'ya later moms!”

The blue car got lost on the horizon, leaving the two girls standing outside.

Suddenly, Kristi gave Liz her a soft punch on her forearm.

“Why’d you throw me to the ground?”

“S-sorry, I-I panicked... I... didn’t know what I was doing, I wasn't in control of myself.”

“You're very cute, you know that?”

“I-I…” Liz’s blush deepened some more. Kristi giggled, and that didn’t help Liz at all.

“I like the way you blush, but I probably told you that a million times already. I'll try to think of other things to say to you.”

Liz felt a weird feeling inside of her when she thought she noticed Kristi analyzing her body. Kristi seemed to pick up on Liz's situation.

“I’ve _already_ scanned you. But let's leave that for later _._ I _don’t want_ you to feel uncomfortable" Kristi said with a devilish grin. “Now c’mon, show me every corner of this magnificent mansion!”

“It’s not a mansion… dork.”

“What did you say?”

“ _Nothing!”_

 _“_ Uh, sure... dork…”

With the door closed behind them, Liz and Kristi walked towards the living room. Liz pointed her finger in several directions in quick succession. "The kitchen is over there, the dinner table, the door to the backyard, another door towards the garage, and this is the living room. Over here, the couch my moms like to fool around on. And that's our TV."

"This looks amazing. I've seen most of this in passing already, but now that I am getting a good look at it, it's making me jealous. And you have all that modern stuff for integrated security, temperature, light and everything installed."

"Yeah, but mom Chloe keeps it switched off. She prefers to not have some computer watching her all the time. But she likes _having_ the system because it deters would-be-burglars".

"So... what are we going to do? Are we going upstairs to plan our... let's call it... _road trip_? Do you still want it?"

"Y-yes. I suppose we should s-start thinking of the things we want to take with us, how m-much money we have and... you know, everything."

"Liz?"

"Yeah?"

"I have most of my things packed already. Since yesterday evening, when my dad let me out of my room, I've been quietly withdrawing as much of my money as I can from my bank account, without them noticing. Unfortunately, I'm still a minor so I can't just take everything. But tomorrow, my mom and dad will visit his parents in Portland, so I can sneak back into the house and pack some more stuff... timing will be very important, we would want as much of a head start as possible".

"Y-yes... I a-agree... maybe I should do the same tomorrow... get some cash money. What would be the best moment?"

"Shall we get something to drink first, before we make final decisions?"

Liz agreed, and walked over to the kitchen. "Shall I make some tea?"

"That would be nice. And then we can go upstairs?"

"Y-yes..."

Endless thoughts. _Deciding to elope was one thing, actually doing it was quite another. Which one of them would get cold feet first? And think of all the stuff they'd need to gather. Clothes, money, practical things like food, drinks, a first aid kit etcetera. My moms are going to miss me, can I really do this to them? But I can't leave Kristi alone either, she needs me now, my moms have each other, Kristi has no one else. Why is this so difficult? And what was it that grandma Joyce had said about mom and momma eloping all those years ago?_

Lisa put the tea on a tray, as well as two cups, and a tray of cookies. "Let's go upstairs, K."

 

***

 

Not much later, both girls were sitting on Liz's bed, drinking the hot tea. It was getting quite dark outside already, though the rain had stopped.

Liz felt awkward. Make-a-promise meant keep-a-promise. She sighed. _Let's see where this goes._ She put her teacup on her desk and pulled out a map of the Pacific northwest, which she then placed on the bed.

"I-if we want to stay undetected, we need to keep away from big cities. S-so, Seattle is out. Portland is out, and San Francisco is out. The region east of Portland looks most manageable."

"I agree, Liz. We need to be able to reach a cheap motel on the first day, somewhere that doesn't ask for ID and we need to be able to get away with claiming to be adults. This means we have to look older than we are, we don't want them to ask questions."

"H-how?"

"Make-up, sweetie. Not _too_ much because you don't want it to be too obvious, but still. And fake names."

"I-it's not easy, is it?"

"No... I guess not? You can still drop out if you want, like I said, I'm not going to force you... come with me only if you really want to."

"I-I'm not abandoning you, Kristi, n-not now... n-not anymore. I'm your friend... I mean... I don't know... what is it that we have? Friendship? More?"

Kristi looked at Liz with eyes that seemed to be confirming she didn't know either. "It's confusing, I guess.” There was a brief moment of silence. “You know... I just figured it out... the best time to leave is on a Monday morning... I could pick you up and we'd say I'd bring you to school... and we'd have the entire morning and afternoon before anyone figures out what's happening..."

Then, with a voice filled with determination, Kristi continued. "I am sure as hell not going home again when I leave the house... not as long as he's there... Dad knows I have to go to school, or that's what he will think, and since I don't have math class on Mondays, he won't know until I'm long gone..."

Liz was running her own scenario's in her head. What would Tara and Emily say? Would they try to call her or text her? And of course, the most obvious problem of all, her moms. Mom Chloe would usually bring her to school, and Liz would have to tell her that it wouldn't be necessary on that particular Monday. And then there was her brother. The lying weed-smoking creep who couldn't keep his hands off one of her best friends. Would he notice?

Kristi was spacing out again, that much was clear to Kristi. She placed a hand on Liz's left shoulder, feeling it shaking gently.

“Hey Liz. Are you there?”

“O-oh, yeah. Sorry, I was… spacing out. Again.”

“I… think it's enough for today. Let just… drink this wonderful tea you made for us.”

“O-ok.”

Both girls took a sip of the tea. Liz tapping on the mug whilst Kristi looked at her.

“We should go this week. My brain will not survive if we don't, not if things keep happening at this rate. The sooner we get out of here the better”. Kristi was looking through the window.

“Yeah. I-I really don’t want that… _person_ to hurt you. Not anymore.”

“Thanks, I think…”.

There was another moment of silence in the room, only outside noises could be heard.

“Well, what are we gonna do once we get somewhere?”

“I… don’t really know. We gotta get to Baker City, maybe even Caldwell, and then decide where to go from there. Life will carry us, hopefully... I think…”

“I was thinking that m-maybe you should… sleep h-here from Sunday to M-Monday. Because then, my moms would believe you’re taking me to school, and back home afterwards. That would give us more time to r-run away.”

“I don’t see why not! I think I can manage to get my mother to say yes. Not my… dad...”

“Y-yeah, I understand. No problem, my moms are gonna be OK with at least one responsible adult saying yes.”

“OK, so Sunday it is. I'm going to come knocking at the door around 2 o'clock. Don’t forget it!”

“S-sure. Like I could forget it. Whenever I see you, it’s a reminder of what we are going to do next weekend”.

Kristi looked at her phone. Her face was displaying a certain worry.

“I’m going home now, Liz. I’m gonna try to be earlier today so my dad doesn’t do something stupid. _Shit,_ I’m gonna try to hide this… thing with some make-up, even if the weather is not with me.”

Liz looked through the window. Black clouds were visible, and some drizzle was already hitting the window.

“Well… at least you have a car” Liz said. She saw a grin on Kristi’s face. “What is so funny?”

“Nothing. Just… you...”

“O-oh. T-thanks, I guess…” Liz said with blush covering her face.

“Well, I need to go Liz. Heading downstairs!” Kristi said, turning on her heels and walking towards the door.

“Wait! J-just let me get something from my closet.”

“O-ok. I’ll wait.”

Liz opened her closet. There were small pouches on the floor, and from one Liz took a small box with some golden letters on the back.

“Here. Take it.”

Kristi examined the box. She admired the golden letters.

“ _Make-up and shadows?_ Oh-la-la, now I have fancy French stuff. Great.”

“I-it’s just a thing my grandma gave me some time ago. I-I never used it, never found the occasion to do so.”

Kristi tapped the box with her fingers and smiled.

“Thanks Liz. Really.”

“N-no problem K.”

She looked at Liz and pointed. “I like that.”

“W-what?”

“Your blush, your earring and the nickname you gave me, K. By the way, should I call you L?”

“O-oh, that. I-it's just the first letter of your name. My friend Tara, we call her T, and so on…”

“I see. Well, I need to go, like, now... fast.”

“Oh, yeah. S-sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry. In a week's time we are gonna be far away from here.”

“Yeah. _Far away_.”

///

Liz accompanied Kristi to the door, said Kristi goodbye and saw her leave in her car.

As soon as the front door closed, Liz’s brain started to work. _Thoughts._

_Far away. I guess that’s gonna be our reality from now on. 'Our' reality…_

_'Our'. S-she didn’t answer my question. W-where does this leave us? ‘It's confusing', I guess._

_Maybe I should ask her? Sit her down at a table and talk to her. I-I don’t want to be possessive or addicted, I just want to… know. Know what she means to me. Know what she does to me. Know why I want to be with her every time. And h-how she feels about me. I-I need to know, I guess. S-should I ask my mom, or another person? I… I don’t know. I think I’m… lost. Perfect._

 

***

 

The week flew away like leaves in the fall winds. Cold yet beautiful. The whole week was filled with Liz and Kristi meeting each other between classes or even in the junkyard. They gathered the things they needed for their escape. Money, supplies such as a med-kit, some tools in case the car broke down. Also, clothes, toiletries, a map and stuff like phone chargers, earbuds and obviously the phones themselves. Liz brought an old camera she found in the attic looking for stuff. It said “Polaroid” on the front and she remembered her mom once said _‘it has 8 photos per roll. Use them wisely!’_ Weird, but she guessed that was how technology worked back when mom was young. But, this camera only had 7 photos left, because mom Chloe had once take a picture of herself and momma Rachel. A _selfie_. Apparently, it was all the rage back then.

_At least I'll have a reminder of my moms. But then again, it’s not like I’m not ever gonna see them anymore. Right?_

The plan was simple, but it needed to be executed carefully so nobody would notice. Then night from Sunday to Monday, Kristi would be in Liz's room in what would effectively be a fake sleepover. The next morning, they would pretend Liz was going to drive the both of them to school, and then is when they would run away. Most of their stuff would already be in the trunk of Kristi's car so no one would notice. They would drive to Baker City or Caldwell, or somewhere around there. They would be ‘free spirits’, as Kristi had said.

///

Now it was Sunday, 2 o'clock in the afternoon, and Liz was a ball of nerves.

_Just half an hour and the countdown will start. I think I’m kinda sad yet exited. We’re leaving tomorrow. We. Are. Leaving. It feels weird to say it. My life is gonna be different starting tomorrow. Going from here to there… Wow. Just… wow._

The sound of glasses clinking together took Liz by surprise, as she left her mind and joined the real world one more time. Her moms were setting the table. Plates, glasses, napkins, all for a good lunch with the entire family. Kristi would be arriving soon, taking advantage of her father visiting Seattle that day.

Suddenly there was a knock on the door.

Liz peeked from the window. It was Kristi. Blue leather jacket, dark blue jeans and her typical attempt at a side braid. It never ceased to amaze Liz how messy it looked. Messy in a good way.

“Hey Kristina! I’m Chloe, Liz’s mom. I know we already know each other, but I think we can never have enough introductions. Nice to meet you again!”

“Oh, just Kristi, that’s what everyone calls me... I'm fine with that.”

“No problem, Kristi” Chloe said with a wink at the end. She always had this kind of ‘ _go with the flow’_ style.

“ _Oh, hello there! Coming in a bit!”_ Rachel called from the kitchen, the sound somewhat muffled by the distance.

Not much later they were all seated at the table. Chloe, Rachel, Liz and Kristi. Conspicuously missing was Liz's brother Billy, much to the frustration of the moms.

"What's that below your eye", Rachel asked Kristi. Both Liz and Kristi looked shocked at how straight to the point it was.

"N-nothing really... just my failed attempt to do a bit more make-up than usual, nothing special really", Kristi replied.

"OK, if you say so", Rachel said. Liz was worried that her moms might be on to something, but she said nothing to make sure the suspicion wasn't increased.

Near the end of the dinner, they all heard the front door open. Billy arrived home, and to Liz's shock and partial disgust, he had her friend Tara in tow. _'Dammit...'_ , she thought.

"Hey moms, Liz... hey there Kris! Long time no see? Feeling better? Good. Moms, listen... Tara and I are going upstairs, we already ate something."

"Sure, sweetheart, let us know if you need anything", Chloe shouted after him whilst they were already going up the stairs.

Liz felt creeped out. Tara was spending more time with _him_ than with her. Ugh. They were probably going to fool around again. Fortunately, the dinner was as good as over.

"M-mom? M-me and K-Kristi are also going upstairs, yes?"

"No problem, sweetie. Momma and I will take care of the dishes."

With Liz and Kristi upstairs as well as Billy and Tara, it left Chloe and Rachel alone in the kitchen, doing the dishes and the cleaning up.

Chloe was placing a series of kisses in her wife's neck. "Hey Rach, maybe you and I should fool around a bit when we're done."

"Hmmm... that feels nice, Chlo. Just imagine, in a few years, the kids will have left the house and we will be able to do what we want, when we want and where we want it... I can't wait..."

"Neither can I, Rach. I have so many ideas of what we can do with handcuffs, rope, our _'toy'_ collection and blindfolds... maybe we should go to bed early today so we can have an advance on the future? I sure miss the days when we could bang whenever we wanted, without worrying about the kids. I want you to call me daddy..."

"Yes, always... daddy... now fucking kiss me already."

 

***

 

Meanwhile upstairs, Liz was getting annoyed at the muffled _'sounds'_ that were coming from Billy's room. _'Are they banging each other or am I just imagining it? Ugh... yuck.'_

"Hey Liz, what are you thinking about? Liz? Hello? You there?"

"U-uh... sorry... my mind... not focused right now."

"I've got most of my stuff in the trunk of my car. We have to find a good moment to put your stuff in too. Maybe tonight after everyone is asleep?"

"Y-yes... it's all over t-there. I'll hide my schoolbooks under the bed so I can put other things in my bag."

"Sounds like a plan, Liz. I do think we have everything we need. All we need to do is to not arouse any suspicion until tomorrow morning and we're set."

Hours later, around 9 o'clock in the evening, Kristi's phone was buzzing. Text messages.

"Shit, my dad. He says he wants to talk to me tomorrow and I had better come home early after school. Well, fuck him, I ain't going back no more."

"You're s-safe here, Kristi... maybe we should try and get some s-sleep?"

"Yeah, we need to be well rested. Can you check if anyone's downstairs? Maybe go get some drinks or a snack? We need to sneak your stuff downstairs and put it in my car."

Several minutes later, Liz returned. Her moms were already in their bedroom, there was no sign of Billy, or Tara aka 'FT' which was the abbreviation Liz had decided to use for her 'friend Tara', but the alternative 'fuck toy' also featured inside her mind. That was one thing she was not going to miss.

Quickly Liz and Kristi carried several bags downstairs and had them in the trunk of Kristi's car in no time. They felt relieved when they re-entered the house. After taking some bottles of water and fruit juice from the storage room, they rushed back upstairs.

"Everything is in our bags, ready to go. Shall we brush our teeth and go to bed?"

"Y-yes... g-good idea, Kris". Liz blushed visibly, once again. Five minutes later they were both on Liz's bed, under the sheets. Asleep."

At four o'clock in the night, Liz awoke. She couldn't sleep anymore. She turned over and looked at Kristi. Shockingly, Kristi's eyes stared right back at her. "Can't sleep either, eh, Liz?"

"N-no... nervous."

"Me too. You want me to hold you? We could close our eyes, and get some rest, and maybe still talk a bit?"

"S-sure..." Liz was amazed at how wonderful it felt, the sensation of Kristi's arms around her body. They were going to be doing the right thing. Yeah, no more doubts. One day, the moms would understand. She needed to be there for Kristi.

And so, the time passed. A knock on the door. "Wake up darlings, breakfast! School". Momma Rachel was up already, and probably also busy dragging mom Chloe out of bed.

Liz and Kristi looked at each other. The moment was so near. Time to freshen up in the bathroom, and then get dressed. None of this took long. But checking and re-checking if they had all their last stuff in their bags did consume some precious time. It was all there. Liz hid her schoolbooks under the bed, as had been planned. They switched their phones off in anticipation, before sticking them in their respective jackets.

The smell of coffee traveled through the house. Once downstairs, Liz and Kristi found warm toast on the table. Mom Chloe was busy in the kitchen, Rachel standing beside her, drinking the hot coffee and smiling at the love of her life.

"Mom", Liz asked. "Can we get some sandwiches for lunch? If it's not too much?"

"Of course you can, dear. I'll make them for you right now."

Kristi smiled at Liz. The plot was working. Chloe was very experienced in preparing sandwiches, and they were ready in no time. Chloe put them in two separate plastic boxes and handed them over. It was an unusual request, but she loved doing things for their little girl.

Momma Rachel sat down across the table. "Your brother is already gone, as usual. And he brought your friend home last night. I like her, they make a cute couple."

 _"Ugh... no way..."_ The words were out of Liz's mouth before she realized. Rachel giggled and Chloe who emerged from the kitchen also couldn't suppress a laugh. Liz got even more annoyed when she saw Kristi suppressing a smirk.

"Hey baby, I gotta go to work", Rachel said to Chloe. The two kissed, and Chloe stroked Rachel's hair. "Come on, don't mess up my hair..."

"I like your hair better that way, my blonde queen". Chloe said. Rachel could hardly turn her gaze away from the sparkling eyes of her blue companion.

"See you later, babe. And you to, sweeties! Have a fun day at school!" Soon, the door closed behind Rachel, and Liz and Kristi were alone with Chloe.

"Y-yeah... w-we gotta go to school... I-I hope you don't mind Kristi bringing me, do you mom?"

"Of course not, little one. It means I have more time to do stuff around the house. Now, don't do anything your momma and I wouldn't do, OK?"

"S-sure, mom. We'll see you later!"

 _'Yeah'_ , Liz thought. 'We sure aren't doing anything you and momma didn't do. Liz was aware of the time that her moms themselves had eloped, grandma Joyce had told her and Billy all about it'.

They threw their remaining bags on the backseat of the car. Liz and Kristi looked at each other. "It's time", Kristi said. "You wanna do this for real, now?"

"Y-yes... n-no doubt. Let's go to Portland first, and follow the 84 highway east, see how far we can get today. Let's doublecheck if our phones are off."

Soon, Kristi sat behind the steering wheel of her car, with Liz besides her. Everything was ready. All they needed to do now, was just drive away. The engine was started. Liz audibly sighed, Kristi looked at her which made her blush.

Past noon, they were east of Portland.


	3. Renegades

Liz woke up in the passenger's seat of a car. The sun was hitting her face, and as she looked around she realized her neck was sore and her back was a nightmare. _Ugh, I’ll live._  

She felt different. And the reason why was easy. This wasn’t _her mom’s_ car. This car was _way_ different. The seat felt different, the windshield was different... but none of that could distract her mind from the realization she couldn’t stand the early afternoon sun. 

Liz lifted her body and looked outwards. The scenery was different too. This was _not_ the house where she lived, or Blackwell. No, she was staring at the highway. 

 _Oh right. I’m with… wait, where is she?_  

Liz opened the door and stepped out of the car. She was at a gas station at the side of the highway. 

The gas station had a shop. Liz could see some guys inside and some black hair heading out of the shop. _Kristi for sure._  

And it was Kristi. She was wearing sunglasses, skinny jeans and her blue leather jacket, which was _slightly_ opened so her classic partially unbuttoned shirt could be seen from far away and seeing is exactly what Liz was actually doing. 

When Kristi arrived back at the car, she looked at Liz who was standing right beside it, now obviously awake. 

“Oh, hey sleepyhead. How are you?” 

“M-my neck hurts and my back too. Aside from that, very good I guess…” 

“Well, let's get back in the car! You can be my co-pilot.” 

“O-ok, lemme just…” Liz said, sitting herself back down on the passenger's seat. 

“Well, I bought some candy, soda and… these beauties”. Kristi lifted a can of beer from the bag she was carrying. 

“How the fuck did you get these?!”  

“Fake ID babe! These things are…” Kristi mock sniffed the ID in her hand “…just magic.” 

“Well, now my partner is a criminal. Why am I not surprised…” Liz said, smirking. 

“Fucking _ouch_. I’m more than that, but let’s keep going. So, we’re at… at least 160 miles east of Portland. It’s… 3:46 in the afternoon and there’s a lot of traffic, or so the cashier told me. We might get where we planned to be somewhere between 6 and 7 o'clock in the evening. This is gonna be a long day, but I think I’m lucky because _I_ have a really good partner at my side. Am I right, partner?” Kristi said, punching softly at Liz's left forearm. 

“M-maybe you’re right…” 

“I’m fucking right. So, let’s get back on the road!” 

“Ok… wait. Did I sleep for almost 5 hours!?” 

“I didn’t want to wake you up. You looked so peaceful…” 

“O-oh. I was just… asking. Realizing what we're doing... maybe...” 

Liz blushed a bit and Kristi smiled, almost giggling. To Liz, this was beautiful. A smile from Kristi was always good, especially after what Liz had heard about Kristi's father. She didn't want to visualize a broken Kristi. She didn't want to visualize a Kristi crying in her room, about to commit suicide. She just simply… couldn’t... 

But now she was smiling. Smiling and wearing sunglasses. The sunglasses were a good strategy. The cashier might have asked about the bruises and that could have raised suspicion. That was something they could well do without. Make-up couldn't hide everything. 

“Well, back to the road then! By the way Liz, please eat a sandwich, I don't want you to starve!” 

Kristi started the engine and soon the girls were back on the highway, keeping course towards their goal for the day. 

/// 

Chloe was in the garage, working on the engine of her car. Rachel was in a photo shop a few blocks away, having stepped out of her office. Chloe was sitting inside the car, trying to start the engine to see if it was working properly when she heard her phone ring. The phone she had _carefully_ placed on her work bench so she could hear any incoming call. 

She stepped out of the car and headed towards the work bench. She was thinking of her children, who were at school. But she let those thoughts fly away. Maybe it was Rachel on the phone, she smiled at the thought. 

When she grabbed the phone, she saw she was right. It was her wife, Rachel _freakin_ _’_ Amber. She happily recalled the first time she had ever seen her, the wonderful girl who had saved her, and was now her loving wife, her dream come true. 

“Hey Rach. What’s up?” 

 _“Hey honey! Sorry, I was calling you about his fucking guy from the photo shop, he's basically a newbie and it’s_ _gonna_ _take a lot more time than expected to develop our photo collage properly, the way we want it done. You know, the family thing?”_  

 _“_ Oh, Ok. So, you want me to prepare dinner, right? No problem. But why did you have to go there i _nstead of just waiting for the guy to call us when he finishes his job?”_  

 _“I know you, Chloe. If this collage comes out badly, if the whole thing becomes a mess, you will go down there, and both you and I know how that will end. With this poor guy on the ground. And I don’t want to go the police station again. I've had to pick you up there at least half a dozen times in my life. So, I decided to check in person.”_  

Chloe felt a bit proud. Half a dozen times. That referred to the times she had defended her angel, her girlfriend, her wife from some guy-idiot-fool-person who wanted something more or approached her in a way Chloe found to be offensive. 

 _“And something else, heard anything from Liz today?”_  

 _“_ Nah, I guess she’s at school, along with her new… friend...” 

“ _Why do I think you're grinning like an idiot right now?”_  

 _“_ Because I am. Can’t I be happy for our daughter?” 

“ _Just… don’t assume things. Yet…”_  

 _“_ Fine, Fine…” 

Chloe felt her phone buzzing. Another incoming call. 

“Listen, Rach, I've got another call coming in right now.” 

 _“Weird. Who could be calling_ _now?”_  

 _“_ I don’t know Rach, but it could be important. But I want you to know, when you come home maybe some exotic food will be waiting for you on the table, and I'll be waiting too, of course, if you catch my drift…” 

Rachel knew what Chloe was hinting at. 

“ _Oh, that... you know, I'm definitely in for that kind of dessert... yummy...”_  

 _“_ Save that for later. Well, see’ya Rach.” 

“ _See’ya_ _sweetie.”_  

As soon as Chloe ended the call with the love of her life, she looked at the phone screen to see who the new caller was. 

“Principal Grant? Why is she calling?” 

Chloe pressed the button to accept the call. 

/// 

“Turn up the volume Liz! I love this song!” Kristi said, moving her head to the beat of the song on the radio. 

Liz turned up the volume. They were trapped in a traffic jam, so music was useful to distract them from the delay. 

“Who is this guy?” Liz said, raising her voice so Kristi could hear. 

“I don’t really know. As far as I’m aware, his name is Campusanis. Don’t know his real name.” 

Both Kristi and Liz were rocking their heads and laughing at the same time. 

 

*** 

 

 _And he can’t touch me now_  

 _This is our wo-_ _orld_  

 _For all that we’ve been through_  

 _And this will be our time_  

 _And we could be here for eternity_  

 _This is a moment in time_  

 _And you can go on about liberty_  

 _But this I will not grant._  

 _All of my life for a little time_  

 _I do not care about the end_  

 _Here we remain_  

 _And here we will not bend_  

 _And he_ _can’t_ _touch me now_  

 _This is our wo-_ _orld_  

 _For all that we’ve been_ _through_ _._  

 _And there is no way out_  

 _There_ _ain_ _’_ _t_ _no point in wondering_ _._  

 _Forever I’ll be here with you_  

 _And this will be our time._  

 

 _***_  

 

Liz mind started to work. _Thoughts._  

 _Kristi looks so… full of life. Maybe a photo is called for?_  

Liz took her old ‘ _Polaroid’_ camera and took a shot of Kristi. Kristi sat still for a few moments, then looked at Liz. 

“How do I look on that one?”  

Liz lifted her right hand, shaking the photo until it became visible. It was Kristi, part of her hair covering her face but her smile still visible. A really good shot. 

“I think is… perfect...” 

“So, save it...” 

“Yes. We have 5 or 6 of these photos left. I’m gonna use them at the right moments.” 

“And by the right moments you mean me wearing a bra whilst drunk, right?” 

“I-uhm-I…” Liz said, blushing a bright red. 

“I’m joking! Don’t worry, anything you want to photograph is fine with me. I'm all yours.” 

Liz's blush deepened, probably covering her whole body by now. 

The traffic jam was slowly dissolving. 

 _The music, these unusual jokes and her. I could get used to this, moving from here to there in a car. It doesn’t seem like a healthy way to live but maybe the adventure is worth it. Time will tell._  

“Look Liz! I think I can see a town over there!” 

A green sign at the side of the road was proclaiming ‘Pendleton, 5 miles’. 

“We are so close yet so far... damn traffic…” Kristi said, lowering the window so she could scream. 

The swears and curses Kristi was releasing from her mouth were enough to make Liz laugh, even if she did so involuntarily. Kristi look at the clock on the dashboard and sighed. 

“Almost 5 o'clock... we might make it to Baker City but not much further.” 

/// 

Rachel went inside the house, left her bag on the table and starting to look for her wife. 

“Chloe! Are you here? Chloe? Hello?” 

Rachel could hear some things being scratched upstairs, some boot stomping on the floor. Chloe. 

Rachel went upstairs. She checked the rooms of her daughter and son, both empty. 

As soon as she walked into her own room, she immediately felt Chloe's arms around her. Chloe embraced Rachel with both arms, giving her kisses on both cheeks and on the mouth. That was a pleasant surprise. 

“Wow Chloe, hello to you too! What happen---” 

“Get ready Rach. We are going to Blackwell.” 

The phrase took Rachel by surprise. And it was a little disappointing considering the welcome she had just received. Any illusions of a sexy continuation were shattered immediately. All she could say was "Wha—” before Chloe interrupted her again. 

“Grant called me. She told me to come. Didn’t specify anything, nothing but a need to talk in private and shit like that. I think Liz could be part of this.” 

“Part of this? How? She got in trouble?” 

“I don’t know. As I said, Grant didn't really say.” 

“I’m… I-I don’t know what to say...” 

“Me neither. I hope it's nothing serious. Are you ready?” 

“Y-yes. Let’s go.”  

Both women left the house and they drove to Blackwell. Both of them thinking about what could have possibly happened. 

/// 

“Finally, yes! Be gone, slow cars!” Kristi said, waving her hand as if saying goodbye to the endless row of cars they were passing. 

“You’re ridiculous...” 

“Ridiculous equals fun equals badass... simple math, Liz.” 

“Ha, funny…” 

Kristi lifted her left hand off the steering wheel and adjusted her sunglasses. The sun was starting to set. 

“Y’know Liz, this could be a good picture. The art teacher told me that this is called the 'Golden Hour'. We could stand at the side of the road and you could take a pic of us both.” 

“S-sure, stop here.” 

Once the car was safely parked, Kristi killed the engine and stepped out of the car. The sun was settling on the horizon, partially hiding behind some trees. 

Liz placed herself at Kristi’s side. She lifted the camera and took a photo of the sun. She shook her hand so the photo could come to life, and in that movement, Kristi grabbed her hand, taking it and placing it against her own. Kristi saw the picture and sighed. “ _Beautiful…”_  

 _“I think it's a good one. But I know how it could be better”._ Kristi grabbed the camera with one hand and dragged Liz closer with the other. 

“Whiskey!” 

 _Oh, a selfie…_  

“O-oh, whiskey!” 

Kristi took the photo and waved it around. 

Liz felt so close to Kristi at this moment. Her lower height made her smell the fragrance of lavender emanating from Kristi. It was an overwhelming sensation to Liz. One in which she could drown. 

But suddenly, Liz was taken by surprise when a kiss from Kristi warmed her right cheek. 

“C’mon Liz, we need to move, we have to drive at least another 50 miles. Move your ass!” Kristi ran back to the car and started the engine again. 

“I-I’m coming!” Liz said, still blushing and thinking about the sudden kiss she had received. 

 _She… she kissed me again… it… it feels… good. And what she said earlier..._  

 _Why do I feel so confused? Why am I leaving my family behind and why do I feel so good? She makes all of this feel… good? Why her? Why are her… kisses… good? Am I like my… moms?_  

 _Last time I asked her the question, she_ _kinda_ _avoided it, but I… need to ask her. Seriously. Where does this put… us?_  

“C’mon Liz, we're burning daylight, we have to move!” 

“Ok, I’m coming..." 

/// 

Rachel and Chloe had been waiting in Blackwell's central hall for over 40 minutes, watching students come and go. 

Rachel was looking at her wife as they held hands. Chloe was tapping her foot on the ground, which produced a little bit of noise with each tap.  

Both women examined the school with their eyes. The building had changed a lot with time, well maybe not the actual building itself but the furniture... also, different posters, lockers and so on. Even the principal's office was modernized. Chloe caught herself thinking. _Rachel and I spent a lot of time in the principal's office when Wells was still around... especially me. Glad that drunk fool is gone._  

Suddenly, the bell rang and it seemed like all the kids were in the hallway at the same time. The hallway was filled with voices, murmurs and loud talks. _Like the good old days… well, the days I wasn't suspended._  

Soon, both Chloe and Rachel noticed the door to the principal's office opening. There were some boys with band-aids on their arms. Probably a fight.  

“Hello Mrs. Amber, Mrs. Price, is that the way to address you?” 

“I'm Mrs. Amber too... but you can call us Chloe and Rachel if you want. And also, hey Mrs. Grant, pleased to meet you again” Chloe said in a friendly manner. 

“I'm principal Grant now, Chloe. Remember?” 

“Oh, umm... sorry, _principal_ Grant." 

Rachel giggled when the exchange between her wife and the former chemistry teacher, now principal, ended. She softly stroked Chloe's hand, which made Chloe swoon. 

Chloe and Rachel sat down on the chairs in front of principal Grant's desk and the conversation started again. 

“Well, like I told you on the phone earlier, Chloe, we need to talk. Your daughter Elizabeth hasn’t shown up for school today. I've checked with her brother, your son, William, but he didn't know anything. Her classmates and her friends don't seem to know where she is either, so I figured she might be sick and you just forgot to call it in, which can happen." 

"Well, she's not sick, as far as we know anyway. She isn't at home, she left this morning, we thought she was at school." 

"That is disturbing news, Chloe. Especially because another student is missing as well, same story. This girl, Kristina, who is in your son William's class also hasn't shown up all day. It may be a long time ago, but I can still recall the day that both of you had similarly disappeared for the day, and I think this is that kind of a situation. It could be a mere and weird coincidence, of course. I called you earlier just to check. But now that you have confirmed your daughter isn't sick at home, I think we can say that maybe this is not just avoiding school. Literally no one here has seen them.” 

Chloe and Rachel were astonished at hearing Mrs. Grant describe the situation. Their daughter, avoiding school? That was something Chloe and Rachel had taught her not to do, especially since they had done so themselves and it had only gotten them in big trouble. Chloe was afraid. In the morning, she had seen Liz leaving with her friend, Kristi. What if this girl took her away? What if this girl had… bad intentions? Chloe had always thought there was something mysterious about this Kristi girl, who had obviously not told them everything about herself. Now, some of Chloe's suspicions were confirmed. 

Chloe looked at Rachel and saw confusion and fear on her wife's face... seeing Rachel like that was something Chloe hadn't seen in a long time. Not since _that_ situation with Mr. Amber, Rachel's father. 

Suddenly, Rachel spoke. 

“H-how is it possible that nobody saw them? And what about the parents of this Kristina girl? Have they been notified?” 

“Yes, they have been” Mrs. Grant answered, whilst looking at some papers on her desk. “Kristina's father is our new math teacher, Mr.---" 

The door opened, and someone was heard coming in. Rachel turned around so she could see who this person was. 

As soon as she saw him, she gasped audibly. Rachel put a hand to her mouth and leaned backwards. She recognized him... it might have been years ago, but she recognized him immediately, that face was not something to easily forget. When Chloe turned around to see why her wife was reacting that, she couldn’t believe her eyes either. She grabbed Rachel's hands. The new person looked stunned too, eyes and jaw wide open. 

Some dressing pants, an old green pale shirt with rolled sleeves and glasses. Brown hair with some greyish streaks. It was none other than Eliot Hampden... 

“Mr. Hampden, we were waiting for you”. Principal Grant was oblivious to the situation. 

Chloe got up from her chair and walked towards Eliot, with a certain look on her face... Rachel recognized that look... a mixture of anger and fury. Chloe's brain was clearly short circuiting. She was forming fists with her hands. She grabbed Eliot’s shirt at chest level to hold him in place, whilst her other hand was preparing to deliver a punch. Eliot saw it coming and stepped backwards. Rachel jumped up and ran towards her wife and embraced her tightly, stopping Chloe from following through on her intention to throw the first punch.  

Chloe pushed forward, trying to escape her wife's grip. She still wasn’t listening... until sudden whispers from Rachel broke through. “ _Chloe, no... Chloe... stop, please...”_  

Chloe gave in to Rachel's wish. Her wife was holding one of her hands and she was pushing the other one against her own body, knuckles still somewhat white from the fist she had been making just now. 

“… what are you doing here? I thought you had fucked off to somewhere...” Chloe said in an angry tone whilst displaying a cold stare. 

“… w-what are you two… doing here… aren't you two supposed to be in Los Angeles? It didn't work out or something?” Elliot said in wide eyed amazement and with a sarcastic undertone. 

In the meantime, Rachel realized that _principal_ Grant had already alerted security. The head of security positioned himself near the door to the principal's office, which was still open. 

Chloe felt her wife's arm around her waist. Rachel's eyes were doing the talking for her. ‘ _Chloe, stop...’_  

 _“_ I’m fine Rach. I-I'm OK…” Chloe said, frowning. 

“Chloe, Rachel, everyone... calm down please. Mr. Hampden here is Kristina’s father, and as I said he is Blackwell's new math teacher.”  

The sudden realization hit Chloe like a cold-water bucket. _How… just how is it possible... this piece of shit... has a… daughter? I-I can’t... I simply… I can’t. Poor girl… and poor wife, whoever is the unlucky woman that married him... a wife... fucking hell..._  

Chloe discerned the facts from what she thought was Eliot's wedding ring. But the girl, Kristina, doesn't look too much like him, which is probably for the best... her mother was probably from some exotic location or something, Kristina was so pretty. Chloe sat herself back down. 

“Explain. How _the fuck_ is it possible that our daughter and… yours... disappear on the same day?” 

“Your… daughter? The other girl is your daughter? I didn't think you had it in you... so who is the father, eh?” 

Though she was now sitting down, Chloe was visibly getting angrier by the second. 

“Yes. Explain... and be quick about it. Because right now, my darling Rachel is the only thing keeping my fist away from your face. I haven't forgotten you and what you did...” 

“You think I know anything about this? You _seriously_ think I know? My daughter _disappeared._ That’s the point. I don’t know where she is... and I think your daughter had something to do with it, after all the two of you know everything about running away from school.” 

Mrs. Grant was getting annoyed with the heated atmosphere between Chloe and Eliot. "Please, all of us should behave like adults... you are all grown-ups, let's just discuss this matter in a professional way." 

Chloe seemed to ignore what the principal said. “What the fuck is that supposed to mean? What happened with me and Rachel has nothing to do with this, you fucking piece of trash... I remember you stalking me. Oh yes, like I said, I haven't forgotten. Especially not that one time you cornered me and started bad mouthing Rachel... saying she was dangerous and that she would leave me... well guess what, you were wrong... Rachel and I are still together and always will be, and that just pisses you off, you motherf--- ” 

“Honey. Please. I _don’t_ like him either, but we need to focus” Rachel interrupted, her eyes fixed on Chloe." 

“Ok. Fine.” Chloe said. She tried to calm herself and proceeded. “Look. Yes, me and Rachel have a history. But now, let’s focus on what is important. _Our_ daughters. They are missing and we need to find them.” 

“I… I agree.” Elliot said, with a more calmer tone now, “My wife told me she was in _your_ house last evening and all night. As far as I know, she was with your daughter.” 

“I know. _We_ saw them leave our house this morning. Kristi was supposed to take our Liz to school. That was the last time we saw them” Chloe said, gesturing at Rachel when she said _‘we’._  

“I will search every known place that Kristina and Lisa have been hanging out at. Chloe, Rachel, do either of you know any places our daughters could possibly have been at together?” 

“I only know they were in the Two Whales and in my house, and maybe here at Blackwell. Nothing more. And if our son doesn't know either, then that's it.” 

Eliot frowned when he heard Chloe mention a son. Mrs. Grant continued the discussion. 

“Mr. Hampden? What about you, do you know anything that Mrs. Amber and her wife haven't mentioned?” 

“No. I don't know anything more than what _she_ said. Nothing else.” Eliot pointed at Chloe when he said _‘she’._  

“OK. Let's search those places. Mr. Hampden, Mrs. Amber, other Mrs. Amber, you are aware that missing person reports should be filed with the police. Please do so tomorrow morning at the latest. Because then it will be 24 hours since Elizabeth and Kristina were last seen. Please make sure you give them Blackwell's details too." Mrs. Grant let out a desperate sounding sigh at the end of the phrase. 

“ _Amber Alert…”_ Rachel whispered softly so only Chloe could hear it. 

 

***

 

Chloe and Rachel left Blackwell and headed towards the parking lot. Eliot raced towards his car, to start his search, or whatever it was he wanted to do. 

Silence followed both Rachel and Chloe throughout their walk. Once they were inside their car again, Chloe sighed and let her head fall slowly on the steer wheel. 

Soon, Rachel broke the silence. 

“Chloe… why? Why is this happening? What did we do wrong?” 

“I don't have a clue, Rach. I honestly don't. I'm just lost for words here... our daughter has disappeared. Our daughter is friends with that fucking creep's daughter? How is it even possible that someone as horrible as _that guy_ has any children? Our little girl just FUCKING DISAPPEARED! You tell me, Rach, because I’m lost”.  Chloe's voice broke and tears rolled down her cheeks. 

Rachel was crying too, pained by every one of Chloe’s words. Every one of them. Every memory of Liz was racing through her head, from the day that she had been born... everything. 

“Chloe, we’ll find her. I swear to any gods out there we will. _We_ will find Liz and bring her back. 

Chloe suddenly embraced Rachel and the two women held each other in a tight hug. They were both crying, tears falling between the car's front seats. 

Seconds became minutes. Rachel couldn't stop crying and Chloe was comforting her. 

“I-I’m…  just… I’m worried… so worried…” 

“M-me too, Rach, but we need to be strong. W-we need to find Liz. And also, her friend. On top of that, I want to investigate _that creep_ and his home situation. I want to talk to his wife, without him present. Maybe I'll ask Billy to text me tomorrow to ensure he's at Blackwell so I can visit his house and talk to her... wait... shit... I don't know the address... but I will find out. He had better not have caused any of this because no force on this planet will stop me from going medieval on him.” 

“You know, Chloe, you are adorable when you're angry”. Rachel laughed quietly, in a whisper tone. 

Chloe lifted her body and sniffed, adjusting her body so she could drive. 

“OK. Let’s find our daughter, and you're sleeping in my arms tonight.” 

/// 

“Ok, let’s see…” The guy they had met at the reception of the motel was accompanying Liz and Kristi towards their motel room. "Here it is..." 

They were only a few miles past Baker City, where they had found this motel. A decent place that was not too expensive and not too conspicuous. The guy, probably still a teenager whose name was not important to Kristi, had given them the room at mid-price. Kristi had noticed he was infatuated with her _beauty enchantments_ , which also seemed to have had an effect on Liz recently. The room had a bath which was surprisingly clean. Also, there was a color TV, air conditioning and even a balcony. 

The thing Liz noticed first was that their room didn't have separate beds. There was one king-size bed and that was it. The room was situated on the second floor, overlooking the plains. 

“Well, thanks for your help", Kristi said to the guy, who was _very obviously_ looking at Kristi’s full figure. She made a gesture with her hand, indicating that the guy should _fucking_ leave, without directly saying so. 

“O-oh, I'll leave you to it, sleep well ladies!” 

“Yeah, _bye_ ” Kristi said, closing the door and locking it. 

“Why did you lock it?” Liz said, observing the room further. 

“Privacy, I guess? I don’t want that creep staring through our window or sneaking in at night. You could have said that we were a couple or something.” 

Liz blushed at the idea Kristi just mentioned. 

“N-not sure that would have been smart... we don't w-want him t-to n-notice too much, do we?” 

“You're probably right. Well, we both need a shower, eat something and then to get some sleep. Tomorrow is a big day! So, we need to be full of energy. As for the shower, you first?” 

“U-uh, sure, Kristi. You don’t mind?”  

“Not at all. I guess I can rest in the meantime. We _don’t_ have a king-size bed right _here_ for _nothing.”_  

 _“_ Touché...” 

Liz picked up her backpack and walked to the bathroom, smiling and waving a hand at Kristi before closing the door behind her. 

She put her backpack on the floor, and after a brief search found some comfy leggings and an oversized tee, she would wear them later. Soon, she was enjoying a hot shower, steam forming in the air and covering the mirror. 

Liz was surprised the hot water actually worked. The motel wasn't that modern, after all. 

The shower was a usual place for Liz to do her thinking. The usual place to breathe and to take the time to put all the things in her mind in the right place. But today, she was emotionally tired. It had been a good day, so why did she feel a little gloomy? 

Liz drowned herself in the shower water and just soaked the heat in. 

Suddenly she heard _stuff_ going on outside the bathroom.  

 _Is she_ _… moving_ _the furniture? Why would_ _she_ _do that_ _?_  

In confusion, Liz yelled as loud as she could. “Kristi! Are you alright?” 

“ _Yeah! Don’t worry, I’m not doing anything!”_ Liz smirked as she knew Kristi was lying. _You liar…_  

Liz finished her shower and stepped out of the bathroom fully clothed for sleep, but when she saw what Kristi had just done, she gasped audibly. 

“ _So,_ I just basically moved the bed from the side of the balcony to the middle, so we--- I mean _you_ can see the moon. Also, I added those kind-of-curtains to the balcony so the sun doesn’t hit us too hard in the morning.” 

Liz's heart melted. “Kris… this is… wow. But… why?” 

“I guess this is my way to say _thanks_ _yet sorry?_ ” 

Liz walked towards Kristi and embraced her in a hug. She felt Kristi shiver, that was weird. 

When they both let go, Liz saw Kristi blushing. 

 _Oh my god. I… I made her blush? Wow Liz, be proud._  

 _“O-ok._ My turn to take a shower. Be right back!” 

Kristi walked backwards towards the bathroom, eyes on Liz, who seemed oblivious. 

Liz let her body fall on the big bed, breathing and exhaling. The bed was good enough. It wasn’t the hardest matrass, nor the softest. It was just perfect. 

 _At least my back is not_ _gonna_ _hurt_ _from sleeping on this_ _._  

Liz rested her head on the nearest pillow, finally at ease, for the first time in the day. 

She almost started to fall asleep when a simple thought resonated in the back of her head: _Kristi._  

 _I… should_ _I_ _talk to her now? I don’t know if she is in the mood but I need to… clear things. I know_ _that_ _we already… kissed each other._ _On_ _the lips. But, where does all of_ _this… place us? Where_ _will_ _this_ _take_ _me and Kristi?_  

Liz kept thinking as she waited for Kristi to come out of the bathroom. She felt the tension slowly raise when she heard the shower being switched off and the happy humming that sounded on the other side of the door. 

Kristi came out of the bathroom, some of the steam from the room escorting her, her cheeks looking healthy and red. 

Kristi was wearing shorts, a t-shirt, neither of which left much to guess. Why was she doing that? 

“O-oh, hey.” 

“Hey Liz. I thought you were already asleep.” 

“N-no, not yet at least.” 

“Well, what are you doing then?” 

“Kris, I-I think we need to talk...” 

Kristi took a seat on the bed, sitting on the side where Liz was lying down. Kristi sighed and looked at to Liz. 

“What’s the problem, Liz?” 

“I-I don’t want to... I don't know... ruin this or anything, but... I-I need to know…” Liz swallowed the lump in her throat. “... everything we've done... the last two weeks... w-where does all of this… place us? You and me?” Liz's voice was trembling. 

“Liz… a-as far as I know, I… I…” Kristi took a long pause before continuing. She stammered a few times, trying to find the right words and meaning, and then all of a sudden, she blurted it out. 

“I… _really_ like you. I mean... _like_ is probably not the right word here.” 

Kristi looked away at the very moment she said those words. She could feel how Liz was looking at her, despite the lack of visual confirmation. 

“Liz, I… I think I’ve fallen for you... more and more every day I'm with you. You are probably the main reason, not to say the only reason why I still want to live. You were there when I cried, you didn’t slap me in the face for doing so. You… accepted me in more ways than any other person would have done. I just feel so good when I'm around you. I think I’m not a normal person... but I want to be with you. And I am so happy that you are here with me..." 

A brief silence filled the room, before Kristi continued. 

"... so, to make a long story short, I think I’m in love with you. And if the world doesn't like that, then fuck the fucking world” Kristi had tears running down her cheeks. 

Kristi thoughts were racing through her head. _That_ _was a wrong move, you shouldn’t have said_ _that,_ _you_ _really_ _shouldn’t. You’re very stupid_ _Kristina._ _Fucking bravo. Now you are_ _scaring_ _away the only person_ _who_ _you have_ _that cares for you_ _\---_  

Kristi was dragged back to the real world when Liz put her hand on Kristi's forearm, squeezing gently, and moving it up and down Kristi's whole arm. 

“Kris. I… I could say that I don't know what to say... but that would be a lie. I think... think t-that’s the answer I’ve been wanting to hear. And I have to confess, I think I’m also… falling for you... the way you make me see the world, the way you make me live it, feel it, be in it. You’re the person that has been on my mind for days on end... a-and... I don’t regret it, I don't regret coming with you... because it's you. I guess I'm... my moms... I don't know...” 

Kristi turned to Liz and saw the puffy eyes she had despite the best efforts to hold back her tears. Her mouth was slightly opened and she could hear her breathing slowly. 

Slowly, the distance between the two girls lessened and Kristi moved her head slightly to one side. 

Liz took the hint and mirrored Kristi's movements. Both girls' hearts were racing and soon their lips touched. Slow at first, but the pace steadily increased. Their hands now touching each other's faces. When they broke away, they each saw the other was smiling and crying at the same time. 

Kristi moved her whole body towards Liz, who was lying sideways on the bed. Their lips touched again, the kisses followed each other faster and faster. 

They broke away for a second time, but within seconds decided to resume. Each kept taking only the smallest pauses from kissing each other, just to catch some of the spare oxygen the room might still have available. 

They were in their own little world. 

Kristi rolled on top of Liz. 

Liz following through so soon she was on top instead. 

They seemed to synchronize movements without speaking. 

Fast kisses. 

Fast movements on the bed. Bliss. 

And then suddenly, Kristi fell down from the edge of the bed, leaving Liz with her arms holding nothing but air. 

When Kristi felt her head hit the floor, and the sudden lack of _a_ person in her arms, she realized they had rolled a little too far to the other side of the king-size bed. 

“K-Kris! Are you alright?” 

Liz put a lock of her hair behind her ear. Kristi simply laughed, ever louder. 

“Why are you laughing?” Liz asked, almost laughing herself. 

“Y-y’know, you could have told me we were at the edge of the bed!” 

"Oh, shut up!” 

Both girls giggled and laughed for a long time, letting the time pass by without a care. The world belonged to them now. 

 

***

 

Liz pulled the covers over herself, ready to go to sleep. 

She was staring at the ceiling of the room, with a simple smile on her face, when she heard the couch being moved. 

“What are you doing, Kris?” 

“I’m gonna sleep on the couch.” 

“The hell you are, you are going to sleep here, next to me.” Liz opened the sheets as if inviting the other girl over. 

“N-no. It’s fine. Really. I don’t want you to have neck pain because of me.” 

“Nuh-uh. C’mere, now.” 

“Fine, but don’t blame me if your back or neck hurts tomorrow morning.” 

“Just come here and shush...” 

Kristi relented and climbed into the bed. She faced Liz, who was facing her. 

“Why are you smiling, Kris?” 

“Nothing. It’s just... it feels good here…” 

“… agreed.” 

“And you’re… very pretty. If you don't mind me saying so...” 

“Aww…” Liz moved her head forward to kiss Kristi one more time before sleeping. Kristi accepted without saying a word. 

Liz kept thinking. 

 _Now… this is pretty good. It feels good. I love her... that's what I've been feeling. Love. Am I too young for this? Not according to grandma Joyce, who told me so many things about_ _my moms_ _. And they were even younger at the time! I do miss my moms, but this is for the best. My moms have each other, Kristi has no one else... she needs me... and I need her._  

Both girls fell asleep with their legs entangled below the sheets. 

 

***

 

The next morning, Liz opened her eyes on what seemed to be the warmest morning she had ever experienced. 

She felt the wonderful sensation of the sheets covering her whole body, the faint smell of nature coming from the outside and…  

Kristi. 

She felt Kristi lying next to her. Her soft and fragile eyelids reacting to the dim light touching them and her chest rising and falling over and over again. A thing Liz thought she could get used to very quickly. 

“Hey you” Kristi said, suddenly awake and taking Liz away from her thoughts. 

“O-oh. Hey...” 

“Whatchu doing?” 

“Nothing. I just woke up.” 

“So... you weren’t staring at me like a freak?” 

Liz kicked Kristi softly against her leg, under the sheets. 

“Alright... and hey, I don’t mind you looking at me… better you than anyone else.” 

Liz blushed a bit and Kristi smiled. She raised her body and stretched her arms, Kristi’s shirt was lifted enough to reveal that she had taken off her shorts. She was in her underwear. 

Liz froze in place, looking at Kristi's _lower back_. And she soon found herself staring at a pair of expensive looking _black panties_. 

“You see it, you touch it” Kristi said, obviously aware of the situation. 

“Uh... um... I-I wasn’t staring…” 

“Yeah, sure you weren't...” 

“… dork...” 

Kristi giggled and let her body fall on the bed again. Liz shifted her body and sat up in the bed. Kristi then crawled toward Liz and placed her head in her lap, humming a song _very familiar_ to Liz. 

Liz, slowly, placed her hand on Kristi’s hair, moving slowly around her head and petting her. She had seen her moms do this to each other. 

The slow rising morning light hit her head, making her dark hair look brighter, and then there was the smile on her face... the closed eyes… 

“Kris, move for a second...” 

“Why? I like to be in this position, y’know?” 

“J-just move.” 

“Fine, fine. But don't leave me alone here.” 

“Sure, I'll be right back, just a few seconds.” 

Liz stepped out of bed, leaving Kristi’s head carefully falling down on a pillow. She moved fast, searching what she wanted. 

She kicked her backpack with a foot and found the item. 

 _Here you are, beauty._  

Liz grabbed her camera and sprinted back to the bed, sitting next to Kristi, who was obviously still too lazy to get up. 

Kristi made a surprise squeak when she felt a sudden weight added to her body in the lower stomach region. 

“Liz! What are you doing, girl?” 

“Be still...” 

Liz held her camera in position whilst Kristi laughed. She took a photo and waited for the picture to come out of the receiver. Liz saw the happiness on the photo and was pleased as much as she could be. 

 _Moments like this needs to be in a fucking art expo. More coming from her._  

 _“_ Give me that camera!” 

“Why? It's mine!” Liz was suppressing a smile. 

Kristi tickled Liz on her sides, making the girl laugh and smile. Kristi was now sitting right next to Liz and kept tickling her until she couldn't take it anymore. 

“O-ok! F-fine. T-take it! Please stop!” 

“Good girl... you see? I know what you need.” 

Kristi leaned over and kissed Liz on the forehead, and visibly to Liz puckered her lips once she was done. Then she pointed the camera in the right angle. 

Liz heard the click of the camera, and the familiar song it always made when producing the next photograph. 

Kristi took the picture, shook it around with her hand and looked at the image. 

“I really like this one. You look so beautiful here... let's keep it with the others!” 

“S-sure...” 

Liz took the camera again, collected the photos and put them down on the nightstand next to the bed. Both girls looked at each other for some more blissful seconds. Liz smiled, Kristi laughed. _This, this is good_. 

“I feel so good now, Liz. Better than I have in years. But... time is golden, or whatever the expression is, and we should be moving to the next city.” 

“Oh shit, I forgot that.” 

“Time flies when you’re with a lovely person...” 

“Y’know, I’m gonna need classes in teasing and flirting.” 

“Why would you need classes if you have me? I can teach you...” 

“Because with a professor I could keep my mind focused?” 

“Touché…” 

Kristi pushed Liz back down on the bed and deliberately fell down on top of her. 

“Well, is this what you mean by you being distracted by me?” 

Liz could barely breathe... she had forgotten Kristi wasn't wearing shorts anymore, and found her hands touching Kristi’s uncovered thighs. 

“Hey Liz... that's friendly... don't worry, I like it!” 

“I-it’s… uh…” 

“I guess it’s me then?” 

“Y-yes…” 

“Well, now that we have that clarified, can I kiss you?” 

Liz mind went blank. Kristi wanted to kiss her again. Liz recalled the kissing session they had the previous evening. Apparently, Kristi wanted some more of that. _Thoughts._  

 _I’ve… I’ve never realized it so clearly before. Kristi is a girl. I’m a girl. I guess I really am like_ _my moms_ _?_  

 _It still feels weird… to realize it. But it's the truth... I'm gay... am I not?_  

The answer to that question was simple. 

 _Yes, I am._  

Kristi kissed Liz slowly, careful, determined... caressing her head for several minutes. It was bliss to both of them. 

 

***

 

“Good morning, Rach.” Chloe placed a coffee jar on the table, in front of her wife. 

Their son Billy had come home late the previous evening, causing Rachel to stay up and wait for him. Chloe had used that time to search as many places as she could have in the time that was available, realizing all the while that she might run into _him_ at any time. _Him_... the guy she had once briefly liked, hung out with until she had realized she was gay as fuck, as Steph had helped her figure out. Chloe had asked around everywhere she could, but no one seemed to know anything. They had all said the same things: 

 _“We didn’t see anything, sorry.”_  

 _“I never saw her.”_  

 _“Never heard of her.”_  

Some persons had barely even bothered to look at the photo Chloe had tried to show them. 

 _Motherfuckers…_ Chloe would clench her hand into a fist. But she knew it wasn't time to explode in anger. 

Now, early the next morning, the two of them were sitting at the table eating breakfast, knowing they'd have to go report Liz missing to the police in a short while. “Just… calm down honey” Rachel said to Chloe, sensing Chloe all tensed up. 

“I… I will try, Rach. I swear… but this shithole is just getting to my nerves... like it did all those years ago.” 

“I know, baby. Maybe we should call Grant first, maybe they've heard something... Eliot might have...” 

“I don't want to hear about him…” 

Chloe stopped for a few seconds. She had already searched many places in the small town. _Many_ of them. And they didn’t have any sign of their daughter's whereabouts. They had both tried to call her, Billy had tried also after Rachel had asked him, he had even enlisted her friends Emily and Tara, but they soon realized the futility. _She turned off her phone. Like we did all those years ago… when we ran away, we did the same thing..._  

At that very moment their son Billy, the handsome young man, came downstairs and sat himself down between his moms. He put his arms around them as if to comfort them. "I will help find her... she is my sister, and we all want her back. I will check with everyone at school, I promise". 

Rachel started crying. Billy knew why, he knew which one of them was his birth mother, and the one that was Liz's birth mother. It shouldn't make a difference, not in their family, but of course it did... it always does. "Don't cry, momma... I love you. I love both of you." 

"T-thanks, Billy... I love you too". Rachel made an attempt to dry her tears, feeling Chloe's hand softly caress her shoulder and her hair. 

Chloe then put her arms around Billy... her son... their son... William junior... now she realized that he was starting to look more like her father than ever before. He had his flaws, like everyone did, but if all men would be like him, the world would be a much better place. 

They had done a good job raising him. Surely, the same applied to how they had raised Elizabeth... whatever was going on could not possibly have been caused by them, could it? No, Chloe refused to believe it. It has to be _him_... what was the situation in Eliot's family. Chloe was more determined than ever before to find out. 

"Hey, Billy, listen. Your momma and I are going to the police this morning to report your sister missing, as per the instructions we received. Do you happen to have a class today with Elio--- I mean Mr. Hampden?" 

"Y-yes, mom, I have math class today." 

"Good, please let me know if Mr. Hampden is at Blackwell... it's important, and I will explain it to you later. Also, do you have the address list of all the students in your class? They gave you one at the beginning of the school year, right? Can you give it to me?" 

"Sure, mom. I'll go find it in my room, be right back!" 

 _Yes_ , Chloe thought. _Once I have the address and the confirmation Eliot is at Blackwell, I will go visit his house, maybe try to talk to his wife. We need to know if there is something going on there. This better not be what I suspect it is, because if it is, nothing can stop me from "discussing" it with him. Better not tell Rachel, not yet._  

"Chlo?" 

"Yes, Rach?" 

"What's on your mind?" 

"Emm... I was just thinking about my mom... I visited her last evening, and she's worried sick like we are. Did you inform your parents?" 

"Yes... my dad told me he will try to find out anything he can, he still has contacts in the world of law enforcement. He really wants to help." 

Chloe's thoughts went back some sixteen years. Liz had just been born, and Rachel's father, James Amber, her father-in-law, had come to their house to apologize and try to normalize their relationship. Chloe remembered he had used to hate her guts. But she was glad they were on friendly terms ever since, the kids deserved to know their grandparents... hell, they even knew about the situation with Rachel's stepmother and her real birth mother. It was good that she and Rachel had kept nothing secret from their kids. 

Billy came back downstairs and handed mom Chloe the address list. Chloe quickly browsed it. _Bingo_... there it was. The address she needed, the Hampden residence. 

Billy announced he was going to school and promised to let Chloe know if Mr. Hampden was present at Blackwell. 

Chloe looked at Rachel. "We need to go to the police." 

"Shall we call Grant first?" 

"Sure, Rach. Let me do it, I'll be polite, I promise." 

 

***

 

“Age?” Officer Clarke asked Chloe, who was looking at the surprising amount of missing person posts on the desk near the officer. 

“Uh, Mrs. Price?” 

“I prefer Mrs. Amber, but never mind, sorry. Both girls are 16 years old.” 

Officer Clarke updated the information on his computer, reviewed it, printed it and proceeded to give Chloe a copy of the report, keeping the other for himself. 

“Ok Mrs. Amber. You should speak to our investigators, meet them on the 2nd floor, 3rd door on the left.” 

“Ok, thanks.” 

“Hope you---” 

Officer Clarke killed his words and stared at the computer screen. 

“Mrs. Pri--- Amber, are you… related to a David Madsen?” 

“O-oh, uh, yeah, he married my mom after my dad died, why?” Chloe smirked from ear to ear, thinking of the possible things her step-father could be involved with. 

“Oh my… well, pleased to meet someone from his family.” 

“Why?” 

“Oh. You don’t know? He’s an honored officer with some of the police departments in this country. Also, he is a retired marine, helped the police with some of his old contacts. Drug raids, missing persons advice and that sort of thing." 

“O-oh. That’s… cool.” 

“You didn’t know?” 

“Not really, no, apart from the marine bit.” 

“Well, anyway he’s been active for a while, working for something federal in Texas.” 

 _Oh, yeah. He left for a few weeks, mom told me. Why didn’t I know about this secret life he’s been leading? Oh well._  

 _“_ Yeah. Something like that. Anyway, I need to contact the detectives. Thanks for the help.” 

“Good luck.” 

Not much later, Chloe left the police station with the phone numbers of detectives Birmingham and Mihiel. 

In the car, Rachel was still trying to reach their daughter by phone. Chloe already told her to stop, but Rachel simply couldn't. 

Whilst Chloe walked towards the car, she felt something buzzing in her left pocket. She looked at the phone screen and saw it was their son. _Billy._  

 _“Hello? Mom?”_  

 _“_ Oh, yeah, hello Billy.” 

“ _Hi mom. You asked me to call both of you if the math teacher was here?”_  

 _“_ Yes, dear, yes. Is he there?” 

“ _Yeah. I’m seeing him from the classroom window.”_  

 _“_ Ok, good. Thanks Billy.” 

“ _No problem. I need to go to classes, I need to hang up.”_  

 _“_ Yeah, sure. Be good kiddo.” 

“ _See_ _ya_ _mom.”_  

 _“_ See ya.” 

Chloe hung up, and thoughts passed through her mind. 

 _So... he is at Blackwell. Maybe his wife is still at home. I’m_ _gonna_ _go talk with her, maybe she can tell me something about this whole situation. I… really hope it's is not what I’m imagining. Please no._  

Chloe jumped inside the car and saw her wife with her phone in one hand and the other hand on her forehead. 

Chloe felt down when she saw Rachel heartbroken and tired. She felt impotent. She felt unable. Unable to immediately resolve the whole situation and bring her wife and their daughter back together again. 

She looked at Rachel and talked to her. 

“Hey honey. Are you ok?” 

“I’m… tired.” 

 _I know Rach._  

“I know Rach. Let’s go home.” 

Chloe started the car and drove to their house, her hands gripping the steering wheel so tight, that her knuckles turned white. 

 

***

 

“Yeah, sure. No problem. ‘Preciated... thanks Mrs. Grant... goodbye.”  

It was midafternoon. Chloe hung up the phone, still feeling the hot spot the screen left on her right ear. She was in the front yard, looking at Rachel who was inside the house talking to Chloe's mom Joyce about the police investigation. 

 _I’m_ _gonna_ _find her, Rachel. I promise. I won't let you down._  

Chloe walked sternly towards the front door and placed a hand on the door knob, slowing her pace. Thinking. 

 _I… need to calm down. She needs me now. Angry Chloe isn't going to be of much use to her. I guess anger is the last thing she would want from me now._  

Chloe breathed in and out, regaining her composure and calmness and entered the house. She felt the sting in her heart to see Rachel sitting at the kitchen table, staring out of the window. Joyce seemed to be trying to talk to her. 

Chloe muffled her rage and impotence by biting her lower lip. It’s all she could do, for now. She walked towards the table. 

Suddenly, she felt a tight embrace coming from her favorite blonde creature. She could feel Rachel's forehead on her chest. Warm wet spots were forming on her shirt. The tears of Rachel staining her. She wanted to try and tell Rachel everything would be alright in the end. It felt like the biggest lie in the world, but this one was going to come true, it had to be. 

As Joyce looked on, Chloe suppressed her own tears, trying to calm her wife by holding her with one arm and caressing her head with another. Subtle sobs could be heard from her. 

 _I swear Rachel. I fucking swear…_  

“I… I’m gonna call the detectives. They could… they're _gonna_ help us.” 

“O-ok Chlo. I… I’m gonna go to pick up Billy from school. I know he's old enough, but I just want to make sure he's not going to go off on his own to try and find his sister. I’m just…” 

“I know Rach. I _really_ know. Go get him, I’m gonna go to the police station again.” 

“Sure.” 

Chloe kissed her wife softly on the lips, like a goodbye without words.  

She managed to get to the front door without making a noise, trying to not break the silence the house was keeping. 

As soon as Chloe turned the door knob, Rachel raised her voice a little, trying to sound as confident as her body could. 

“Be safe, Chloe.” 

That simple phrase of three words caught Chloe by surprise, when half of her body was already outside. Chloe stopped for a second, processing the words she just heard. With one hand on the door knob she looked back. 

“You too Rach. See ya later.” 

“See ya.” 

Chloe felt bad about lying to her wife, even if it was only a small lie for the greater good. But deep down, she knew she needed to know more about Eliot's family. There had to be something going on there, something that might well be more serious than she had previously imagined. She needed to know. For Rachel, for Liz, and for Kristi. 

/// 

“I think it's a shame that we didn't test the pool!” Kristi said, starting the engine of the car again. 

“Why? To swim? The water smelled strange, and had a weird color” Liz answered, placing her backpack on the backseat. 

“No, not for that…” Kristi had a devil grin in her mouth, winking and giggling a bit. 

“Oh... I… uh, well, I…” 

“Don’t worry Liz. Someday we'll get in a pool together, can't wait to see you in a bikini.” 

“You wish... dork...” 

"I can dream, can't I? Maybe this dream isn't so unrealistic. Anyway, we're on our way to Twin Falls, we're already in Idaho." 

Liz was looking out of the passenger seat window. Endless prairie-esque terrain. She realized they were further and further away from home every minute. How _was_ it going back there? She felt a little guilty realizing her moms might be panicking and thinking maybe something bad happened to her? Maybe it was time to contact them? No. Not now. Not yet anyway. 

"What are you thinking about, pretty?" 

Liz woke from her thoughts. "Oh... uh... j-just things... you know... where we're going and all that. Sooner or later we'll have to choose, northeast or southeast." 

"You miss your moms, don't you? Don't worry, I understand." 

"Y-yes I-I d-do miss them... I still don't regret any of this, though. I'm here for you, remember?" 

Kristi swept her hand over her own forehead. "It's so damn hot here... and the air-conditioning isn't working anymore." 

"Fortunately, it's already getting late in the afternoon, we still have some distance to go." 

"Hey Liz, do you hear that?" 

"H-hear what?" 

"Nothing... maybe I imagined it. I thought it was the engine or something. I don't see anything strange on the indicators. Fuel. Check. Temperature. Check. Seems alright, well apart from the aforementioned air-conditioning." 

/// 

 _This must be it... the Hampden residence. This must be where that dickhead lives... with his wife and daughter and heaven knows who else? Chloe imagined some poor girl being locked in the basement being used as..._  

Chloe screamed out loud in order to drive the worst of her thoughts away. She parked near the house and prepared herself. She took a deep breath and exited the car. Her phone was switched off, she didn't want anyone interrupting the thing she was about to do. Her son Billy had confirmed that Eliot was at Blackwell so there was little chance of him intervening. 

The house looked slightly dilapidated. The garden was not well maintained at all. And all the colors were either brown, dark green or some shade of gray. _Hell, even his house looks like shit. What secrets is this place hiding? Will I find the key to the reason our little girl has left along with his daughter?_  

There were lots of other questions on Chloe's mind as well. _Who exactly was Eliot's wife? Where did she come from?_ It was time to find out. 

Chloe sighed as she reached the front door. She tried to ring the doorbell, but there was no sound. _Weird._ Chloe tried again. Still no sound. Some other method of getting the door to open was needed. Maybe she could lockpick this door, it was one of the skills she learned years ago during her own suspension from Blackwell. But still, better not. Whoever was inside might call the police, and that was the last thing Chloe wanted. 

Instead, she knocked on the door. Once more, nobody responded. Chloe knocked louder, to the point her knuckles ached. She didn’t see or hear anything. Lockpicking the door was becoming a serious thought. Chloe knocked on the nearest window. "Hello! Anyone at home? I need to talk to you!" 

 _Dammit. Was she not_ _t_ _h_ _ere_ _? Did she even exist? Maybe she divorced him years ago. Who knows._

Then suddenly, Chloe heard sounds coming from her right. The door was being unlocked. She rushed back to the door and prepared herself. 

The door opened. "Hello? Can I help you?" 

Chloe looked up and down at the smaller woman standing in the door opening. She had raven black hair, a slightly darker brownish skin, emerald green eyes and was wearing a simple long skirt with buttoned down shirt to match. _Kristi's mother for sure_ , Chloe thought. _At least this explains why Kristi is so pretty._ The blue-haired pirate queen wondered if she was a mail order bride. She wasn't betting against the idea. Where did she come from? Likely somewhere in South East Asia, who could tell? 

"Yes, I think you can. Please let me introduce myself. My name is Chloe Amber-Price. I am one of the mothers of Liz Amber whom we suspect has run off with your daughter Kristi Hampden. I was wondering if I could come in and ask some questions?" 

"I-I'd rather not let anyone in, my husband... he doesn't like that". Chloe imagined that she saw a slight look of fear on Mrs. Hampden's face. 

"That's fine, I'm perfectly willing to stay outside. Like I said, do you mind if I ask some questions?" 

"No, it's OK, really." 

"Did you notice anything about your daughter's behavior in the week leading up to her disappearance?" 

"I don't know... I guess she wasn't here a lot... my husband... like I said... I don't know." 

 _Not very talkative, that's for sure. And what's that nervous twitch on her face every time she mentions her husband? It's almost as if she's afraid of him... scumbag Eliot. Wait... what's that on her neck? Marks of some sort. Looks like she's put makeup on it to cover it up, but I can still see._  

"Did you know she was spending the night at our place, in our daughter's room? Were you aware that they were friends? At least, I assume they are friends?" 

"I suspected she was seeing someone. My husband... well... how to say... there were arguments. Maybe I've already said too much." 

 _Battered wife syndrome... I'll bet myself all the money I have. What has Eliot done to her? Fuck... looks like my suspicions were correct. He is an abuser, has to be. That might be the key._  

Chloe tried to ensure her thoughts remained on the inside and attempted to continue the conversation in a friendly manner. But inside of her mind, all alarm bells were ringing. Loudly. 

"We are trying to figure out where they went, did you check your daughter's room for any clues as to a possible destination?" 

"My husband said he couldn't find any clues at all. He's been agitated ever since she disappeared." 

 _Agitated, I believe it. Damn... I need to press my case. Maybe just ask directly, see how she reacts._  

"I don't want to be rude or anything, but I have to ask you this question. Has your husband ever laid his hands on you, I mean in terms of physical abuse? Or maybe on your daughter?" 

Chloe saw the look on Mrs. Hampden's face change. She looked terrified. 

"S-sorry, this conversation is over." 

Mrs. Hampden slammed the door shut in Chloe's face. 

Chloe was stunned for a few seconds, but quickly regained her composure. All her suspicions confirmed. Sure, it wasn't a smoking gun as her father-in-law would say, but this was very strong in terms of circumstantial evidence. Eliot was an abuser. Now she needed real evidence. If he was responsible and if her and Rachel's daughter Liz ended up hurt, Eliot would pay. No quarter would be given. No one would be able to stop her, not even her angel Rachel. 

Chloe felt both sad and relieved at the same time. Sad because this woman had to endure him, and their daughter Kristi had to as well, relieved because it was the kind of life she had escaped from. She recalled the brief interlude between her grief over her own father's death and her dream life with Rachel. 

She took a seat on the burning hot pavement. Chloe started to breathe and exhale, trying to think and gathering all the options she had at this moment.

 

_1\. Knock again and probably have an argument about this and her calling the police. Which really doesn’t help the situation._

_2\. Leave this place and basically ask the detectives to come here and question her. But she might not want to talk and probably will tell Eliot, if she hasn’t done that already._

_3\. Call David for help. Which is already lame. But I don’t have a more feasible option._

 

Chloe raised her body and took her phone, dialing David’s number. She sighed and proceed to talk. 

“ _Shit…_ Uh, hello?” 

“ _Chloe? My god, there are unexpected things and then there's this. How’re you Chloe? Should I ask why this sudden call?”_  

 _“_ Uh, no. You shouldn’t. Sorry to be so… rude, but where you are right now?” 

 _“A friend is going to Arcadia Bay and offered to take me there. Why?”_  

 _“_ How long’s gonna take for you to be here?” 

“ _I don’t know Chloe. Maybe I’m_ _gonna_ _be the_ _r_ _e b_ _efore_ _midnight_ _._ _”_  

 _“_ Good. I will explain when you're here. And… David?” 

“ _Yeah?”_  

 _“_ Please come fast. I… we... need you.” 

There was a radio silence coming from the other side of the line and Chloe felt the stupidness of the last sentence. 

“ _Sure. Going fast._ _See’ya_ _Chloe_ _._ _”_  

 _“_ See’ya.” 

Chloe hung up the phone and sat herself back down on the pavement. She placed both hands on her forehead and smiled. Part of it because they will have some decent help. Other part because she will have good news for Rachel. Chloe recalled all the arguments she had with her step-father along the years, some of them even with Rachel at her side. When their son William was born, Chloe, Rachel and David stopped all the arguing and started to bond. For the sake of their newborn baby. 

 _For the sake of_ _their_ _newborn baby._  

 

***

 

“My god, yes! We’re finally here!” Kristi suppressed a yawn and shook Liz's forearm softly. 

“Finally. Let’s find a decent place to stay, with a good bed.” 

“Ooh lala! You wanna get things a bit out of hand tonight?” 

“W-what?! No! I-I mean, uh… wh---” 

“You’re so cute when you get all flustered. Chill, I need a good bed too, my neck hurts a bit.”  

Liz rolled her eyes and grunted loudly, making Kristi laugh even louder. 

They searched various streets, finally stopping at some hotel near Canyon Spring. They packed all their stuff and carried it towards the hotel. Kristi made use of her ‘enchantments’ one more time to get a better price for the room, it worked. When they closed the door of their room behind them, the analyzation process began. A big king-size bed for both of them, a bathroom and a good-sized wooden wardrobe besides a small LED. It looked a bit expensive to Liz, who openly wondered if could afford it? 

“Kris, please tell me you didn’t sell our car so we could afford to stay at this place?” 

“Ha! No, I didn’t. I just used my explosive personality and charisma to get it.” 

“ _Suuure_ _..._ _”_  

 _“_ I swear! Why you don’t trust me?” 

“I don’t know. I feel that something doesn’t make too much sense here.” 

“Oh. So, you need more… convincing?” 

“U-uh… m-maybe?” 

Kristi grabbed Liz by her thighs and lifted her to chest-height, moving towards the bed. Liz made a surprise squeak and exploded in giggles when Kristi, now on top of her, started to tickle her sides, with no mercy. 

In between these moves, Kristi grabbed both of Liz's wrists with her hands to restrain her quietly on the bed. She proceeded to kiss Liz on the lips. Not softly, not passionate, possessive.  

Kristi moved one hand back to Liz’s side and started to tickle again, making the other girl laugh even more. Kristi did not let up and looked Liz firmly into her eyes. 

“You owe me for this morning!” 

“B-but, t-that’s not f-fair!” 

“It is fair to me. Now relax. I’m gonna let you go, we need something to drink. I’m gonna visit the shop nearby. In the meantime, take a shower _my lady_ _._ I really want to watch some TV, I feel desynchronized with the world.”

“Sure. I will be waiting for you.”

“Of course, because I’m the one who brings the snacks” Kristi grabbed her jacket and closed the door, loudly singing in the corridor. Liz, in bed, sighed contently and laughed.

_“What am I doing…”_

 

***

 

Liz was about to get into the shower to calm her tensed muscles when she heard an audible _‘Shit!’_ from the parking lot in front of the hotel. She knew that voice. 

Liz approached the window, peeking outside to see their car badly parked between two spaces and a female figure kicking the wheels of the car. Why is Kristi kicking the car? 

Liz went to the door and left the room, running through the hallways to get to the parking lot. When she reached the outside, she saw Kristi looking tired yet a bit angry.  

“What happened Kris?” 

“Remember what I said about that weird noise I heard this afternoon?” 

 _No._ “Yes, why?” 

“Well, the goddamn coolant is gone and the engine badly overheated. We can't buy more coolant because the garage is closed, and also, I think the car battery is done for. This car is…” 

Kristi closed the hood with a loud thud and cleaned her hands on her jeans “… fantastic. Fantastically broken.” 

“Well… at least it brought us here.” 

“Yeah, that adds like... +20 on Utility. The rest is gone.” 

“Funny. Let’s get inside, I’m getting a bit cold.” 

“It’s not my fault you didn’t bring a jacket. Here, take mine.” 

Kristi put her jacket around Liz’s shoulders. Liz, feeling the comfort of leather, snuggled closely to Kristi as they walked back to the front door. 

“At least wait 'til we get to the room, jeez.” 

“Shut up and warm me up.” 

“I’m not naked.” 

“Just walk.” 

Kristi giggled and so did Liz. They walked holding hands towards the front door. The comforting warm breeze of the hotel's lobby made Liz happy. 

“Uh, excuse me?”  

A guy appeared from behind the reception. Blonde, tall and wearing a pale-yellow sweater. 

“Yeah?” Liz said, stopping Kristi so they could talk to the guy. 

“Hello. Uh, we basically received comments from other guests of _‘some girl_ _causing a ruckus on the_ _parking lot’_ , I dunno...“ 

Kristi smirked at Liz and raised a hand. 

“Guilty. Sorry for causing any trouble.” 

“Oh, don’t worry. Just be quiet.” 

“Sure. Thanks for the advice.” 

Kristi sighed, looked at Liz and the two walked back to their room, holding hands again. 

 

***

 

“My god, David…” 

Chloe ran to the car David was emerging from. She instantly embraced David with both arms. David stood in place, accepting the unexpected affection. 

“Nice to see you too Chloe. Even if the situation is not so good.” 

“Y-yeah. I know. I already talked to the detectives, they said that a missing person bulletin is going to be on TV tonight.” 

“You said Birmingham and Mihiel, right? I know them, good ones. I already talked to them on the phone, so I know what will be in the report. How are you and Rachel holding up? 

“We are coping. I have to be strong for Rachel. She is… tired. Billy is angry. I guess you could say we are a mess.” 

“No, you aren’t Chloe. Bad things have happened, but we'll fix them.” 

“If you say so…” 

Chloe walked fast, and David followed her into the house. Rachel yelled ‘ _Chloe!’_. 

When they made it to the living room, Rachel was on the couch, seated quietly with one of her knees moving constantly. 

“Chloe. Look!” 

‘… _two_ _teenagers from Arcadia Bay are_ _missing_ _since the past Monday. Elizabet_ _h_ _Dawn Amber-_ _P_ _rice and Kristin_ _a_ _Jade Hampden, both_ _16 years_ _old_ _,_ _have not been seen since_ _Monday_ _morning_ _and are in_ _an_ _unknow_ _n_ _location._ _According to local p_ _olice_ _these kinds of cases are typical_ _in western Oregon as most missing teenagers usually return within a few days._ _The famil_ _ies_ _of both girls are working with the police as they_ _search_ _for any trace of the two_ _girls_ _\---’_  

A ring from David’s phone took the attention of everybody in the room. He proceeded to talk and walked away, though still within earshot. 

“David speaking. What happened?” 

Chloe and Rachel looked at each other, exchanging faces of hope... and fear. 

“ _What!?”_ David yelled. Chloe walked towards the kitchen, where David was and Rachel stood up, anxious. 

“David! What happened?” 

David rushed through the hallway and took his jacket. 

“You wouldn’t believe me.” 

 

***

 

“Yes. Exactly. It fits with the description I’ve just seen on TV. Sure, don’t advise them. I heard the car they're using broke down. Ok. Sure. Good luck.” 

Dylan hung up the phone and stood in place, looking at the car in question. He didn’t expect to find two fugitives in the middle of the night, but that’s what he gets for doing a double-turn. 

 

***

 

“Are you comfy enough?” Kristi said, drying her hair as she walked around the room. 

“Y-yeah. I don’t know why I feel so cold, the sun was shining today…” 

“You need to warm up?” 

“Yeah. And _n-n_ _o,_ not in _that_ way.” 

“You're killing my dreams, y’know.” 

Kristi approached the bed and got under the sheets where Liz already was. She embraced Liz's body with one arm. She felt Liz's chest, rising and falling slowly with every breath. 

An idea appeared in her mind. 

“Liz?” 

“What?” 

“I’m… kinda cold too.” 

“Is this one of your moves?” 

“No. It offends me that you think about me in that way. But, actually… would you mind… spooning?” 

Liz felt her cheeks burning. Her breathing was way more pronounced, her hands were shaking and she felt exalted and alive. But the fact of touching Kristi’s bare skin, waist to waist, body to body, made Liz feel all nervous. Even if they were a _thing_ , it was still undiscovered territory. Also, Kristi wearing _th_ _o_ _se_ panties didn’t help the situation. 

“O-ok.” 

Liz moved her body, fitting her position with Kristi’s body. Bare skin making contact with bare skin, stiffening every sense in Liz's body and sending shivers along her spine. Kristi felt so… soft. As if she was made of velvet. Minutes of awkward silence passed and finally Liz summoned up the courage to talk to Kristi again. 

“A-are y-you good now?” 

“Y-yes. T-thanks cutie.” 

Both Kristi and Liz laid there, in the peace of the night, hearing cars pass by on the outside. Liz imagined that Kristi's breaths sounded like the soft purrs of a cat. 

Liz could smell and see. Smell the soft aroma of lavender in her neck, see how the very dim light of the street hit Kristi's shoulders, how her curvy body imprinted against the sheets and how Kristi seemed so peaceful. 

 _This._ This was a feeling Liz could get used to forever. 

 _For_ _ever._  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song what Liz and Kristi hear in the car is "Borrowed time" By Campusanis. 
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tGDQvB07XSY


	4. Freedom

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, we took a while, but here we are, with the last chapter.  
> Hope y'all enjoy it !

David was talking with Chloe in the kitchen about all the details the detectives gave him the previous night when he went to the police station having been alerted to a possible coincidence involving his granddaughter in Idaho.

“… we could call one of my friends when we get there. He works for the local police, he could get Liz and the other girl---”

“Kristina.”

“Yeah, Kristina... anyway, he could arrange for them to be returned here, to Arcadia Bay.”

“I know, but… I want to go there. I want to be there with Liz and her… friend. I know we could call that friend of yours but I want to see things for myself.”

“What things exactly, Chloe?”

“Things. All I ask is you to trust me. I have a very strong feeling things didn't happen by accident.”

“… alright. Fine. But it could take the better part of two days to get there. One if you drive through the night. If you want to leave now, we might possibly get there before they leave town. The sooner, the better, if you ask me. So, pack your things.”

“Yeah. Hang on, I’m gonna give Rachel a heads-up. I don't want her to be more worried.”

“Sure. Take a moment.”

Chloe left the kitchen, heading towards the stairs. As she went upstairs, she started to think. What to say to her wife? What to say to her daughter if and when they found her? How to react? These things were not easy.

…

It was a cloudy morning in Idaho, and both Liz and Kristi were asleep. Liz was embracing Kristi with both hands below the sheets. Legs entangled and hands intertwined, one girl next to the other, sharing a bed as was becoming routine.

The very dim light of a cloudy day was starting to illuminate the room. It was just enough to get used to a new morning. It was one of the few times Kristi hadn't moved during the night as she usually did.

It was all because of Liz. All because they had started to hold each other's hands before they lost the battle with their desire to sleep hours ago. They were keeping each other in place. Liz was holding Kristi, and Kristi was doing the same to Liz. It almost seemed like an instinctive thing to do, as if it was an unconscious movement decided upon by her brain. Kristi was worried about this. Their… thing, whatever it was they had. Unknown to her, Liz was anxious too, but neither girl said something out loud. They were good at this, sleeping together in some decent motel in the middle of their travel. It was an odd sensation of…  meaning.

Darker clouds were forming in the horizon, maybe a traveler cloud, maybe a little rain or even a storm.  Who could tell?

The light thunder seemed to be creeping closer and closer. With every passing moment, they were getting bigger and bigger, louder and louder, until the point that the sound surpassed the level needed to creep into the consciousness of sleeping people.

The sound was enough to wake up Liz. She was mildly worried about the unknown threat she heard but instantly felt relieved when she saw the soft creature that shared a bed with her, contouring the sheets at her will.

_She looks so… pretty. Where’s my damn camera…_

Kristi groaned when Liz got out of bed. She moved around the room to find her camera and soon found it on top of her backpack.

She turned back to the bed, searching quietly for the _perfect_ angle to take a photo of the sleeping beauty. She switched to the other side of the bed, where the peaceful creature continued her dreams. There it was, the perfect angle. Kristi's face, asleep and messy, with various strands of dark hair running through her face and a small gap between her lips.

But, there was a special strand of hair that seemed intent on ruining the photo. It was covering a big part of Kristi's face, and getting her face in the picture was the main objective.

Liz put the camera down and climbed onto the bed. Very carefully she reached for the strand of hair with one hand, softly also touching Kristi’s left cheek.

With this simple movement, Kristi woke up, terrified. She pulled the sheets over her head and made Liz lose her balance. Soon, quiet sobs were filling the room with sadness and confusion.

Liz regained her composure and turned to her companion. Kristi was now openly crying into her pillow and embracing it with both hands.

“K-Kris? A-are you Ok?”

Kristi peeked at Liz with one eye, and then opened both eyes wide, reaching for Liz and embracing her with both arms.

“W-what happened, Kris?”

“I…” she sobbed “I-I thought you… were my dad. W-when you placed your hand on my cheek, I…”

Kristi placed her head on Liz’s shoulder, trying to steady her breathing. She clung on to Liz with both hands and held her tightly.

Liz slowly moved her hands onto Kristi’s back, moving them up and down slowly, caressing every inch of skin.

_These bits of Kristi… when she’s so fragile… what kind of life did she have until she... until we met?_

“I will never, _never_ hurt you. You’re too good for this world.”

“I-I know Lizzie. I know you won't. But I'm still scared.”

Liz gathered all the _never_ she had and kissed Kristi on both cheeks, and on her forehead.

She already knew what it was like to kiss this lost girl on the lips, but it was still hard to kiss such a beautiful creature that deserved the world and beyond.  It was hard to look at her, crying and broken like a few weeks ago, in that junkyard. It was hard to listen to her, and terrible to imagine all the things her father had done to her. It was disturbing to see how a tender gesture could be the reminder of a horrible action.

It was hard, but Liz was determined to deal with such hard things.

Right now, they were OK.

“W-what if we go back to sleep? We can dream about… better things. Is that an idea, Kris?”

“S-sure...”

Kristi opened the sheets to Liz, who was soon back by her side. Liz grabbed Kristi's hand with her own, and they were spooning, like last night, with Liz holding Kristi tight.

“Liz, w-what time is it?”

“It’s, uh…” Liz looked at the clock on the nightstand “It’s just past 7 AM. Don’t worry about that, we have plenty of time.”

“Yeah, thanks…”

Liz heard a particular tone of disagreement in Kristi's voice, something she never heard before.

“Hey, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing, I just… I don’t know if I can go back to sleep so easily after… that…”

“C’mere...”

Kristi moved to face Liz, face to face. Liz moved her hands towards Kristi’s face, hesitating if she should place them on her cheeks.

Kristi took the hint and grabbed Liz’s hand, placing it on her own cheek and caressed it with her thumb.

“…Thanks Liz.”

“For what?”

“For being here… with me.”

Liz smiled at Kristi. “… you're welcome.”

…

“So, are you leaving?”

“Yes, I’m going to Idaho. Police said they've received a report about a possible sighting.”

“She probably used the money we gave her every month...”

“I assume the same. Also, this girl could have money saved too…

“Well, how long are you gonna be away from home?”

“Three days or less.”

Chloe sighed and seated herself at the edge of the bed in their room, thinking about all the stuff she was going to be doing once on the road.

Rachel took a seat at her side and placed a hand on Chloe's shoulder, shaking slowly.

“Hey.”

“Hey yourself Rach.”

They kissed for a few seconds. It was an old habit, but it always was like the first kiss they had, in that desolated street, late in the evening, just before those cruel revelations about Rachel's family.

“ _Chloe! We have to go!”_

 _“_ This guy always kills the moment, I tell ya...”

“Chloe…”

“I know, I know, I’m just clarifying things.” Chloe said, looking at Rachel “Well, goodbye, my love…"

“This is not a goodbye Chlo, it’s a ‘ _See ya later’..._ unless you don't plan on coming back. _“_

“I'll be back and we will bring the girls, babe. And remember, we're together ' _til death do us part.”_

“Shut up, dork, I know.”

…

Chloe stuffed some clothes into her bag, also grabbing a toothbrush and some paste to go with it and went downstairs to meet David, who was already wearing his jacket and had the keys of his own truck in hand.

A few kisses and hugs later, and telling Billy to keep his momma company, Chloe and David said their goodbyes and loaded their stuff into the truck’s back and closed the doors to start the ride.

It was at this moment that a car stopped in the front of the Amber-Price residence. The driver had hit the brakes almost furiously and tire marks were visible on the road behind the car.

David looked at Chloe. "Did you or Rachel invite someone else?”

“No, we didn’t.”

Chloe stepped out of the truck and walked slowly to the car, not knowing who it was because of the tinted glass of the front windshield.

Suddenly, the driver's door of the car swung open and a figure wearing white flannel and olive-green pants emerged.

Eliot Hampden.

Eliot approached Chloe who did not seem too happy to see him.

“What are you doing here, Eliot?”

“I saw the TV report and the police gave me a head's up. I just came to see if you two were advised as well.”

“You know, they invented the telephone for a reason.”

“Look. My wife told me yesterday that a _strawberry blonde woman with blue streaks came to our house and asked about Kristina._ Anything to say?”

“You… don’t give me good vibes dude. There’s something about you, I don't quite know what it is, but I have a feeling it's not good.”

“Are you high again, Price? Or does your wife not satisfy you in bed lately? There’s nothing wrong with me. Maybe you’re the one who has the problem... starting with your penchant for making all the wrong decisions.”

“Chloe, is everything alright?” David said through the driver's window.

“Yeah, David. This guy is leaving now, just like I told him to all those years ago when I got tired of his bullshit.”

Eliot stood in place looking coldly at Chloe. Swearing, cursing and screaming with only his eyes.

He turned around, but not before launching a last verbal missile at the woman he once hung out with, before she ditched him.

“See you later, Price, take good care of Rachel, because before you know it, she might find someone a lot better for her, someone less trashy. Me, I’m gonna keep searching for my daughter. You ought to do the same.”

_You fucking piece of shit motherfucker… but you're not worth it._

Chloe's hands were balled into fists. She turned around, let out an angry sigh, and got back into the truck.

“Sometimes… this guy really gets on my nerves. And it’s becoming _very_ difficult to not punch his face to pulp.”

“Chloe, don’t let him get to you. Who is he anyway?”

“He's Kristina’s father. And I guess we could say that me and him... and Rachel too... we have a history. I think there’s something about him... maybe to do with this all, I'm not sure but I have a strong hunch.”

“I’m not gonna ask further, it’s not my business. But, like I said before, don’t let him get on your nerves. It’s gonna destroy you from the inside, like a trojan horse.”

“I know, I know. I'll try... do my best.”

David kept looking at Chloe in silence whilst he started the engine of the truck.

“Alright, off we go.”

“Yeah. No time to lose.”

A few minutes later they were on the 84 highway following the road east to Portland.

…

“What time did you say it was?”

“Eleven in the morning, Kris.”

“I guess we could say that I started this pretty early.”

“You started ten minutes ago.”

“Y’know, it’s difficult to get out of bed when the other person doesn’t want to.”

“Are you blaming _me_ for _you_ not getting up early to fix the car?”

“ _Nooo!_ I’m blaming you for being lazy and pretty, a killer combination.”

Liz blushed a bit, the color on her cheeks combining with her blood-red hoodie.

They were in the parking lot of the motel, Kristi trying to fix the car and Liz trying to help as best she could. Kristi bought the coolant as soon as she got out of the motel that morning, and now she was there, in front of the car, trying to fix it under a sheet metal roof whilst the soft drizzle that touched it caused drops to fall onto the ground, forming a puddle near where Kristi was standing.

“ _Keep pressing the brake as you hit the throttle, let me hear it roar!”_

“Sure, Kris!”

The engine made its soft yet loud purr, in short spans as Liz hit the throttle.

Kristi left the front side and came to the driver side, along with Liz

“Well, this car was made with a non-electrical ignition, so it doesn’t _necessarily_ need a battery to get the engine working. But I still need to get the battery going. For _our_ luck, the battery loads with the movement of the wheels so all we need to do is to get the car moving for a bit and _voila, magic!”_

“If you say so…” Liz said, looking at the ground. “I wish I could help you with anything. I feel so… dumb and useless at your side.”

“What?! Oh, no. Nononono, you did _not_ just say that.”

“What? I’m telling the truth.”

“Liz, you’re not useless or dumb. Not even _fucking_ close. _I’m_ the dumb one here, you’re the smart one. And you’re helping me with the car, _our_ mobility device. You are talking to me, laughing and testing this piece of trash. You are the full package, girl. You're cute, smart and completely sexy! And you can, y-you know---”

Liz's heart couldn’t help but smile and melt at the sight of a worried Kristi, trying to talk and complain about Liz applying _those_ two words to herself.

Liz simply gave Kristi a hug, cutting off her words and leaving her with an open mouth.

“You’re… _too_ perfect for this world, Kris. You are everything to me.”

“H-hey, you’re the perfect one here. _I_ am the trash.”

“S-shut up and hug me.”

They shared a short, beautiful moment there, whilst the drizzle was slowly turning into actual rain.

“W-well, I need to finish this piece of trash. Would you mind…?”

“O-oh, no. Begone, pretty lady! Do your magic!”

“Shut up Liz.”

Liz giggled and so did Kristi. She moved back to the car and Liz moved back to the driver's seat, in order to keep helping Kristi.

“ _Liz, come here for a moment!”_

"Coming!”

Liz left the car again and walked over to where Kristi was. The latter cleaning her hands as well as possible with a piece of cloth.

“I’m going to… teach you as best I can. And _please_ don’t distract yourself by looking at me.”

“W-what? N-no, I really want to learn. At least the basics.”

“Ok, so, here, in the middle, we have the obviously big engine. And here is where the coolant goes, then at the side we have the ventilators to help keep everything from overheating. Oil and gas checker, big battery over there, spark plugs, also coolant checker, and fuse box. That’s pretty much everything, at high level.”

“How the hell do you know all this? My mom fixed engines and everything, and I can't remember anything for more than twenty minutes and believe me my mom tried over and over again to explain everything.”

“Well, being in total isolation for almost your entire life has actually got some benefits. You get used to lots of time for reading and drawing, and writing things, aside from suicide notes.”

“I… uh…”

“I… went too far?”

“Yes... uhh... no, it’s just… wow.”

“Yeah, get used to _‘wow’_ with me and my history.”

Kristi looked at the ground, sighing loudly, closing her eyes.

_I should avoid these kinds of questions. She doesn’t want to talk about that, and it’s ok. But someday we have to talk about this. There’s a big scar on her soul that needs to heal, and right not it can't. I feel it._

_“_ Should we eat something? Before we starve?”

“S-sure, Kris. Clean your hands, I’m gonna get the last sandwiches from our room.”

Liz went upstairs and grabbed the bag with the sandwiches, sodas and candy that they bought previously.

When she came downstairs again and walked towards the car in the middle of the rain, she saw Kristi, seated on a wooden table, taking off her hoodie and leaving it inside the car.

 _Under_ her hoodie, she was wearing a white tank top which made her black bra stand out a bit more than usual.

Liz froze in place, with one hand holding the bag of food and the other next to her body, she hardly even noticed the rain.

She saw how Kristi rocked her hips, apparently to the sound of some metal song on the car radio. Her movements occasionally lifted her tank top so her stomach could be seen a bit, and her head was a messy combination of hair and smiles.

How mesmerizing she was.

“Hey Liz! You’re getting wet in the rain, come here!”

“S-sorry, I thought I saw a friend.”

“Now of all the people we both know, who could possibly be here right now?”

“I dunno. Coincidences can be angry bitches.”

“Yeah, I guess I know that at this point” Kristi said, looking at Liz, winking.

“Well… maybe meeting you was a coincidence.”

“One I don’t regret.”

They shared stares and smiles for a few moments, both amused at the whole scene.

It was noon, and apart from the rain the day was quiet and peaceful, with both Liz and Kristi sitting next to the car, eating their food. They took turns talking.

“Your mom did what?!”

“Yes! She punched the neighbor for leaving the trashcan blocking the car exit.”

“Oh my god. She seems to be _so_ damn cool.”

“She is. My other parent, momma Rachel, she’s damn cool too.”

“You resemble her a bit. I think I heard my dad talking about her sometimes. Was she a model or something…?”

“Kinda. She quit when my brother and me were born.”

“Hmm, interesting. I wish I had parents like yours…”

Liz saw Kristi looking downwards and mumbling something. She sighed and suddenly turned her head towards Liz.

“Well, let’s not talk about me too much. How does it feel to have two mothers?”

“I guess you can say good. It really gives you another point of view from the world.”

“Well, at least one of us has parents with an open mind.”

“Yeah. Sorry.”

Liz looked at the street, it was full of cars coming and going from all sides. Then she looked at Kristi who surprisingly was looking back at her. Kristi then looked away for a few seconds. Liz wondered what was going on.

“What?”

“Nothing. I was… thinking.”

“About…?”

“All of this. At… some point we're gonna run out of money. We're gonna starve, maybe, we're gonna need a job at some crappy place. Sometimes I think that I didn't really think all of this through as much as I should have. I’m such a fool…”

“Hey! Don’t say that. You’re not a fool, or stupid, or anything like that. _We_ came here _together._ You trusted me enough to ask me if I wanted to come with you. And now, I don’t regret it, not even for a second. It would devastate me if I saw on the TV or read in the newspapers that you were missing. I care about you.”

Liz touched Kristi’s back. Kristi rested her head on Liz's lap, they were looking each other in the eyes.

“Remember… that day at the junkyard when you were, y’know…”

“Y-yeah. Why?”

“Do you remember what I said?”

“N-no, I don’t really.”

“I said that ‘I would cry every _fucking_ night if I couldn't see you'. It applies to this situation Kris. I would cry if I didn't have you. I would do anything just to be able to see you again.”

Kristi had teary eyes, as if she was about to cry. But she just simply lifted one hand and touched Liz's hair and used her other arm to push herself up and kiss Liz on the lips, slowly and carefully, trying to not commit any mistake and trying to make it last as long as she could.

When their lips parted, Kristi talked with her eyes closed.

“Sometimes I feel that you are too perfect for this world.”

“Stop stealing my lines, Kris.”

“Why? I can’t use them on you, pretty?”

“They’re copyrighted for a reason.”

“Maybe I can earn the right to use them, somehow? Maybe, I don’t know… some pretty girl wants to be kinda… naughty tonight…”

“S-stop your train of thought _riiiiiight_ there. But yes, maybe there’s a way.”

“That includes some dark fantasy you haven't told me about?”

“No…maybe.”

“One day, I swear.”

“Shut up!”

Kristi giggled and so did Liz. In this peaceful moment, they were absolutely free without any supervision or authority nearby, it was fun to be like this. A… _thing._

Something with a meaning. More than a friendship.

…

Daylight was burning rapidly. The sky was turning dark blue and threatening clouds appeared on the horizon. Chloe Price was a vivid representation of an angry matter.

They were at some motel more than halfway towards their intended target. She got herself a single room, whilst David got his own.

The day so far had been filled with unusual yet peaceful silence she hadn’t heard in a while. They were taking turns to drive-and-rest trying to make the journey as short as possible in terms of time and trying to keep their minds and bodies as awake as possible. But sooner or later, every human being needs some sleep.

In her room, she was emerging from a hot shower when she heard her phone buzzing.

_Messages from 2 chats._

She opened the app and checked who were those _2 chats._ One was from Rachel, and the other from Max. That was weird.

**_Rach: Hey beauty._ **

**_Rach: Howdya doing?_ **

**_Me: ‘ello Rach_ **

**_Me: About to sleep, you?_ **

**_Rach: Can’t sleep. The lack of blue hair is killing me._ **

**_Me: Awe, such an adorable girl._ **

**_Rach: Shut up, Price._ **

**_Rach: How are you and David?_ **

**_Me: Fine. We're not even arguing._ **

**_Rach: Good to hear._ **

**_Rach: Where r u r8 now?_ **

**_Me: Way more than halfway our destination._ **

Chloe looked at the clock on the nightstand, 23:12 PM.

**_Me: Don’t you think that it's pretty late to be awake?_ **

**_Rach: Yes, why r u awake, babe?_ **

**_Me: We drove all the way past Portland and ended up here. Far away from any big city._ **

**_Rach: … and now you’re about to get some well-deserved sleep._ **

**_Me: Exactly. By the way, is Billy keeping you company?_ **

**_Rach: Yes, he is. He's a sweetheart. It's good to not be alone. Well, I guess I will leave you to get some sleep._ **

**_Rach: I hope you'll find Liz tomorrow..._ **

Chloe hesitated if she should be realistic or positive with her answer, but reality is the best bitch in this world, and sometimes it was the correct option.

**_Me: Rach… we don’t know if we're going to find our Liz. They said that it was a coincidence that this report came in. It's not 100% sure. I don’t want to make false promises. I want to find Liz with all my heart Rach, I really want to, but we need to be realistic._ **

**_Rach is typing…_ **

Chloe awaited her lover's answer, regretting at least 50% percent of her words. It wasn't nice to shatter illusions like that, but it was for the best.

Suddenly, the notification ‘ _Rach is typing’_ disappeared, and a simple message appeared in the chat.

**_Rach: I know hun. I just want to find her, see her and hug her._ **

_///_

Rachel was seated in bed, with a tear running down her cheek when she answered Chloe’s message.

**_Me: Well, I need to sleep and u too._ **

**_Me: G’night Chlo._ **

**_Chlo-awe: G’night, wife o’mine._ **

Rachel put her phone down, sighed loudly, tried to recompose herself and not cry any louder so to avoid their son Billy overhearing it.

She let her body rest on the bed, feeling the lack of another person in the bed. She slowly placed her hand were her wife normally slept with her, ever since they had gotten married all those years ago.

///

Chloe looked at the other chat after wishing her wife sweet dreams.

**_Max: Omg Chloe_ **

**_Max: I just saw it on the news._ **

**_Me: Yeah. I’m on my way to find her_ **

**_Max: I… don’t know what to say._ **

**_Max: Where are you now?_ **

**_Max: I’ve been trying to call you the whole day_ **

Chloe checked the missed calls section. There were no missed calls.

**_Me: Max, I don’t have any calls from you. Are you sure you called me and no other person? It would be great knowing you bothered another person thinking it was me lmao_ **

**_Max: I swear I called you_ **

**_Me: Welp, I don’t have any missed calls my friend._ **

Chloe looked at the clock. It was getting late and she needed to sleep.

**_Me: Max, I really need to sleep. Btw what are you doing awake, early-sleeper?_ **

**_Max: You don’t forget anything, do you?_ **

**_Me: Nope_ **

**_Max: You were SO into sugar Chlo_ **

**_Me: Sugar is a dangerously addiction_ **

**_Max: I know. Ironic, such a warning coming from you._ **

**_Max: Steph sends her regards_ **

**_Me: Tell her that we should play some DnD soon._ **

**_Max: She says she's been waiting for yo ass to try to beat her_ **

**_Me: Bet_ **

**_Max: You’re right, she’s waiting for you._ **

**_Me: Such a lovely wife you have, Caulfield_ **

**_Max: Yeah, I know._ **

**_Me: Well, Max, I leave you right there._ **

**_Me: Goodnight nerds (that's you and Steph both)_ **

**_Max: G’night, Captain Bluebeard_ **

Chloe hadn't heard Max say that for several years.

She would answer, but the conversation would just not end if she did.

Later.

…

The rain was becoming a factor in the attempt of trying to fix the car. Also, it seemed surprisingly cold this new morning. The previous day had passed very fast and they had not managed to get their car going.

Liz was taking a sip from her machine-made coffee whilst Kristi kept up her attempts to fix the car.

“This rain, it’s starting to piss me off.”

“Why? It’s beautiful, Kris.”

“Rain? Beautiful? Are you sure you are awake, Liz? Rain doesn’t help our engine situation.”

“Didn’t you say that you fixed it, just now?”

“I said that, but it’s consuming the coolant at a rapid pace, and there's no actual cooling going on, if you know what I mean.”

“Yeah, I get it.”

“Do you?”

“Yeah, yesterday you gave me a full lesson.”

“Oh right. Look at you, all intelligent.”

“Patience is a virtue.”

“Patience is what I need to keep trying to fix this, and I don’t think is that much of a virtue.”

“That's why it is a virtue.”

“I give up...”

Liz giggled and Kristi let out an amused sigh. It was difficult for her not to laugh seeing such a beautiful smile.

“What time is it, Liz?”

“It’s, uh…” Liz looked at the clock inside the car. “It’s 10 AM.”

“What?! Really? Time's flying by fast, cutie.”

“Why do you keep calling me that?”

“Can’t I call you cutie when you’re obviously a cute person?”

“I mean, i-it doesn’t bother me, I-It’s just that---”

Liz suddenly got a huge fright at the sight of a cop car passing right past them, slowing down. Much to her relief, it continued on its path, disappearing into what seemed like an avalanche of cars.

“Wow. I… I thought that the cops found us…”

“M-me too Liz. Me too…”

///

Detectives Birmingham and Mihiel were at the Hampden residence, knocking on the door and trying to get used to the strange smell that seemed to surround the place.

Suddenly, a small woman, wearing a long plaid green t-shirt and jeans appeared in the doorframe.

“Mrs. Hampden?”

“Yes? Can I help you?”

“Yes. We are detectives Birmingham and Mihiel. We’re here to check and confirm which items might be missing from your daughter's room.”

“Basically, it will help us get a clearer picture as to what she might have been planning. Considering the time frame that has passed, we have to start considering options other than just someone running away. It’s gonna take only a few minutes, don’t worry” Mihiel said.

“I… I didn’t get any notice about this from the police. It’s not that I don’t trust you, it’s just weird.”

“It is weird for us too. But it is a requirement. Detective Birmingham took out the Revision Order from his pocket and showed it to Mrs. Hampden.

She inpected the order carefully, trying to remember as much as she could for the purpose of being able to explain to a certain someone what happened.

“Would you let us pass, madam?”

“U-uh, yeah, sure, c’mon…” Mrs. Hampden said, clearing the path so the detectives could enter.

The two men entered the house. It was painted with a dim-dark brown, and not looking very well maintained.

Once inside, there was easy access to the other sections of the house. On the left, a LED TV, a white sofa and cabinets filled with books. To the right, a kitchen, small but functional. Then, near the rear wall, a large wooden table with some unlighted candles standing in the middle.

It was a relatively small two floor house. It looked cozy on the inside, but who knew what secrets the walls might be hiding from prying eyes.

Both Mihiel and Birmingham remembered the conversation they had with Mrs. Amber-Price that same morning.

‘ _… she knows what's going on. But her husband is keeping her on a short leash. Be careful that she doesn't shut you out because she is liable not to tell you anything. She might get scared and call her husband. Make her feel comfortable…’_

 _“_ May I ask your first name, Mrs. Hampden?”

“Janet. Janet Hampden”

“Janet. Well, Mrs. Hampden, would you mind if we go upstairs?”

“N-no, i-it's fine. This way.”

Mrs. Hampden went upstairs first, with both detectives behind. Mihiel already heard the stammering in her voice and Birmingham noticed a scar on her arm. He tried to point this out to his partner without actually saying anything that might be overheard by their hostess.

“Where is your husband, Mrs. Hampden?”

“He’s a teacher at Blackwell. Math.”

“I guess that every student would say it’s a boring subject.”

“Y-yeah, even my own daughter says it…”

There was a small break of silence. Mihiel and Birmingham could guess why.

Both detectives noticed one thing. There was a worn white door, with fading paint and black marks highly visible. Most visible of all, it had a latch.

The weird thing was, the latch was on the outside, not the inside.

This was cause for concern to the detectives. The detectives moved towards the door, opening it very carefully and slowly. The door made an irritable creek but soon revealed the secrets of the room behind it.

The room was painted dark violet, and there was a massive number of books gaining dust every second. Impressively detailed drawings were hanging on the walls.

In the sorrowful silence, both detectives examined the room.

Clothes everywhere, a window slightly cracked in the corner, a suitcase in a corner, a trashcan filled with tissues. An acoustic guitar near the bed. Posters filled the walls alongside the drawings, making the whole thing a collage of colors.

“This is a bit messy…”

“Y-yeah, it’s exactly as she left it” Mrs. Hampden said, her hands shaking a bit, very noticeable.

As this pace, they wouldn’t get the information they needed. A more direct approach might be needed.

“Uh… Mrs. Hampden… we need to ask you some personal questions.”

“W-what kinds of questions?”

“Mrs. Hampden… did your husband…?”

…

“We’re here, Chloe. They're here too.”

Chloe was completely on edge. She was ready to run towards her daughter and hug her until her arms got tired and kiss her like she had when Liz has just been born with that beautiful baby-smile on her face.

But she didn’t want to rush things. She would do it, no doubt, but there was another girl present and she had agreed with David that they would let the thing play out carefully. The situation tested Chloe’s patience. She was nervous.

The idea of grounding her daughter for a long time passed through her mind a ton of times during the journey, but she had already decided not to rush to decisions until the whole ‘Kristi situation’ had played out in its entirety.

“So… what now David?”

“There are a few cops around the corner. Two are dressed as civilians so they won't immediately suspect them.”

“What are you expecting from two teenage girls?”

“I guess I have had a kind of trauma since you and Rachel were that age.”

“Touché.”

“Anyway, in a few minutes the guy from the reception desk is going to call for them, saying that there's an error in the bill from the place they ordered food from last night. This is where you appear. You will talk to them whilst the cops will secure the car.”

“Again, what do you expect from two girls?”

“Chloe, what if they try to escape? Or worse?”

“Or worse you say? One of them is running away from a bad father and the other is here to support her, because they are… _friends_ … or something. I have a feeling about this. Rachel and I did a similar thing, if you remember.”

“Yeah, I'll never forget. But we’re waiting for the detectives to give us a heads up, the call to the reception desk should be going out about now.”

“David, I’m sure of what I’m saying. I’m _telling you_ that there’s something bad to this whole situation. They didn't just run away for fun. And Eliot, that scumbag you saw talking to me yesterday, her father, is the key to all of it.”

David’s phone buzzed in his jeans, cutting the despair of arguments in no-time. He took the device out and looked to the screen, seeing the few text messages on it.

“They called. It’s time, Chloe.”

She looked to the building at the other side of the street, feeling suddenly intimidated by the scene she imagined would play out very soon.

She swallowed the lump in her throat, caught some air and got herself ready for what was to come next.

She opened the car door, feeling the drops of heavy drizzle land on her face and jacket. The whole scene seemed to be happening in slow motion.

Before she closed the door, she looked at David. “Stay here. They’re coming with us.”

“Sure.”

Looking across, she saw a bunch of people entering the motel.

_Cops. Intelligent and extremely thrilled…_

As she crossed the street, her only goal was getting clearer and clearer.

_Reuniting with her daughter._

///

“Kris! Are you there?”

“ _Bathroom!”_

Liz walked towards the door, were Kris was located.

“Uh, Kris, they called from the restaurant we ordered food from last night. They say there’s an error on the bill. A guy is downstairs.”

“ _How can be an error when we paid cash?”_

 _“_ I’m going downstairs to see if I can fix the problem.”

“ _Wait! Let me go with you!”_

 _“_ Don’t worry, it’ll just take a second or two.”

“ _I’ll catch you later, ok?”_

“OK. See’ya.”

Liz left her position at the bathroom door and headed towards the door. She grabbed her jacket so the surprisingly cold weather wouldn’t hit her so hard.

When she opened the door, she heard people talk near the reception. Her senses were on high alert.

She walked downstairs, slowly, feeling her legs heavy from nothing. Maybe she should go back and get Kris to come with her to settle this matter.

As she went down to the reception, she started to see more terrain. Floor, some chairs, a couch, the reception guy, and… and…

This couldn't be. Liz rubbed her eyes to ensure she wasn't still asleep and dreaming. But once she opened her eyes again, the picture was even clearer.

Her mom Chloe was there, wearing skinny jeans and a leather jacket with a white t-shirt underneath.

Liz's heart stopped, she felt like being pulled into a vortex, which was dragging every word and sense of freedom with it.

Chloe stood there, astonished. Her eyes were lying to her, they had to be. This was not real. It was another world, another dimension where coincidences were damn good at first attempt.

Chloe was starting to feel drops forming on her eyes, progressively evolving to blurry eyes and soft, pained moaning. She moved her feet, trying not to fall on the ground. She started to move faster and faster, going towards her daughter. Even though the distance between them was less than ten yards, she made it running, not worrying for anything but the precious girl that she and Rachel had raised.

When Chloe embraced Liz, the latter stood there, undergoing everything, without words, because she didn’t have anything to say. Any words that she did try to say, died before they reached her mouth.

Liz started to sob like her mom was doing, returning the strong embrace. Not wanting to break the only string of mental sanity keeping both of them safe from crying on the ground, Chloe kept her arms tightly around her daughter. Chloe noticed that while she herself was still crying Liz had already ceased, though still displaying a pained face.

_At least one of us inherited the strong composure factor…_

_“_ Liz! Are you ther---”

When Kristi was halfway down the stairs, she saw the whole scene. Liz’s mom and her own Liz, both crying, embracing each other.

That was enough for Kristi. She ran back upstairs in a panic, not wanting to know the how or the why.

Chloe didn’t notice, but she faintly noticed the sound of fast steps first coming and then quickly disappearing again. She felt the urge to go and check.

Chloe separated from Liz, moving her hand along Liz’s back. A few words escaped of her mouth, in almost a murmur.

“H-howd’ya doing, Liz…? _”_ Chloe said, tears still rolling down her cheeks.

Liz didn’t give her an answer. She just looked down to the ground. Maybe she was angry, maybe she was being honest. Maybe there wasn’t a _why_. Maybe she just ran away with… _her_.

“L-let’s go see Kristina, she's here too, right?” Chloe said, placing a hand on Liz’s shoulder. She was still there, trying to cope with the situation.

Chloe waited for her daughter. There was going to be plenty of time to talk later. Decades if necessary. Now, she needed to start to unfold lies and discover truths. Even if that meant blood coming out of a certain person she used to hang out with all those years ago before meeting Rachel.

“Which room is it, Liz?”

“…T-that one at the end of the corridor. Right there.”

Chloe walked towards it along with Liz. Suddenly, both mom and daughter started to hear loud noises of things crashing.

///

Kristi was a mess of nerves, frenetically running around the room, barely noticing the things she was knocking over.

_NoNoNoNoNoNoNoNoNoNoNoNoNONONONOOO---_

She punched a glass with her bare hand, making the object crack because of the sudden impact. Her hand was now bleeding from the shards. All the glasses were broken.

She held her aching hand with the other, trying to not let the blood fall on her clothes. She started to freak out more and more, not wanting to know anything anymore. Her wounded hand was shooting an acute pain along her whole arm. She felt how her options were getting more limited with every passing millisecond.

_The door is blocked... there’s no window in the bathroom... there’s glass on the floor... there’s glass on the floor... on the bed... glass. There’s glass... glass... I’m not going back I’m not going back... back... back, not going... back. Liz, Lizzie, not going back... mom... mom, Liz, Liz, Lisa..._

Kristi started to sob. No options left. Only one way out. Not going back, no way.

She fell onto the floor. Slowly, Kristi crawled towards the pieces of glass, not worrying about her bleeding hand anymore. With her other hand, she grabbed a piece of shattered glass, causing cuts on two of her fingers.

She sat herself with her back against the wall, trying to stay as quiet as possible. Her hands were shaking uncontrollably, unable to keep the piece of glass still. Tears were still flowing but she no longer noticed them dropping from her face onto her arms.

Then, she heard someone bumping against the door. She didn’t care. Slowly, she placed the shattered piece of glass against her wrist, not moving it, just… keeping it there. There were reasons to let your body bleed out. Many of them. Not wanting to come back to an abusive life was one of them.

_Maybe… I can forget… everything… with just a simple… cut…_

_One cut… and everything will be forgotten… no more pain..._

_One cut…_

_I’m sorry Liz…_

Kristi moved the glass a bit more to the side, preparing to end it. Right then, she heard the door being violently breached.

///

“The door is locked.”

“Oh my god, Kris!” Liz shouted, trying to open the door. “Kris, hear me, open the door, please!”

The silence wasn’t a comforting answer.

“Kristina, open the door kiddo! We don’t want to hurt you! I just want to talk. I'm here to help. We can work this out.”

More silence. It was terrifying both for the blue haired mom and for her daughter.

Chloe took her phone out and gave it to her daughter.

“Call your grandpa, now. Tell him we need help. I'm going to try and see if I can force the door.”

Liz didn’t hesitate and proceeded to call grandpa David.

**_“Chloe?”_ **

**_“_ ** _Hi, this is Liz, send help, quickly!”_

_“ **Liz?! But--- how---?!”**_

**_“_ ** _It doesn’t matter now! Send help, Kristi locked herself in our room, I think she's hurt herself.”_

There was an eerie radio silence where Liz could only hear David’s breathing. It only lasted a few seconds, then David replied. “ ** _I'm coming, I will alert the guys.”_**

David hung up. Liz was looking at what her mom was up to.  Chloe looked determined and was audibly breathing in and out, preparing to commit serious violence against the wooden object in her path, the door to the room she wanted to enter. The hotel be damned.

“Liz… stay back”

“Mom, what are you going to do?!”

“Stay back.”

Chloe leaned against the wall opposite the door, to try and get as much leverage as she could to apply maximum power against the door.

She pushed her hands against the wall behind her, and mentally counted to three before pushing herself forward. The entire movement was controlled, one hit. Her right leg hit the door precisely where she wanted it to, as hard as she could possibly have managed.

A loud crash was heard around the hallway, possibly alerting other people. The door's lock broke and gave way. The door quickly turned on its hinges and smashed into the wall due to the recoil.

Chloe immediately saw the horrible scene in front of her. Her motherly instinct kicked in. In a glimpse she had grasped what was going on.

She saw Kristi, below the faint daylight that the cloudy and rainy day gave off, surrounded by glass and blood, staining her t-shirt and skin. When she traced the girl's whole body with her own eyes, she saw the action Kristi was about to commit. She saw the shattered glass in her hand, about to cut into her wrist.

Chloe raced towards Kristi, immediately taking the glass out of her hand. Kristi was crying loudly. Chloe didn't even notice that the piece of glass she had just taken from this girl had also made cuts on her index finger and thumb.

Liz ran in after her mom. _“_ Oh my god Kris, what were you about to do?! Are you crazy?! W-why Kris?!”

Kristi just kept crying. Liz embraced her, not caring about the blood or anything, nor her mother witnessing the whole situation.

Chloe caught her breath, and was examining the room, looking at everything. There were lots of clothes around the room, along with backpacks, plastic plates and cups with evidence of food having been eaten. The bed's sheets were on the ground next to it.

_The blue haired mom had a flashback. What two teens combined can do... this room didn't look all that different from the rooms she and Rachel had stayed in during their own elopement. Now she was a witness rather than a participant. Her own daughter and this girl. What would Rachel say if she could see their little girl right now, all grown up, comforting this other girl._

“ _Chloe! You there?”_ David shouted from the corridor, waiting for an answer.

Chloe moved out of the room, still seeing her daughter on the ground holding and hugging this other girl, who was bleeding from the arm.

“David, here.”

The old man moved fast towards Chloe who was standing in the door opening. He entered the room and saw the scene for himself. He saw the same that Chloe had seen, and he had the same worried expression on his face.

“Chloe… what happened here?”

“I don’t… really know. Maybe we should call an ambulance, they need to take a look at her arm.”

David looked again to his step-daughter, amazed to see that same look of worry on her face that he had seen on Joyce's face when Chloe and Rachel had disappeared. Whilst he was still observing the scene, David pulled his old phone out and called the emergency number.

“ _911, what’s your emergency?”_

_…_

A few hours later, Chloe was smoking in the parking lot. She saw two cops exiting the building in front of her. The rain had stopped but the clouds remained. The ambulance had already left some time ago, after the emergency staff had tended to the wounds of the girls. The physical wounds would heal soon.

Chloe's thoughts were working at a high pace. What just happened there? Why would she do a thing like that? She needed answers. She tried to resist jumping to conclusions but her mind was already biased towards the explanation she had worked out for herself earlier. _He_ had something to do with this. She would get to the bottom of everything. If _he_ was the abuser she thought he was, no number of gods and angels could protect him from her wrath.

What the fuck had happened to him anyway? He had been so nice the first few months she had known him. Maybe it was all just fake so he could get inside her panties? Not that she let him, except that one time. How he had changed after she met Rachel.

He had become angry and bitter, a spurned lover who just could not accept being cast aside... for a _girl_. The creepy stalking and the one time he had cornered her, yelling abuse at her and insulting Rachel non-stop, spreading rumors and innuendo about her blonde girlfriend's supposed promiscuity, which Chloe knew were total lies.

She threw the cigarette on the ground and placed her foot on it, suffocating the lit tobacco filled stick on the wet ground. She should quit smoking.

Chloe started to walk again back to the hotel lobby. The cops were questioning the guy at the reception. David was talking to the manager.

She looked around some more and saw a few of the other residents looking down from the upper floors. David pointed towards the manager's office and Chloe acknowledged it. As she entered the office in question she saw the two girls sitting there, both with a cup of tea in front of them.

Chloe sighed and sat herself down in one of the empty chairs.

“Hey girls. How’re you two doing?”

“F-fine… I guess… I mean... physically“. Liz seemed to be speaking for both.

“Anything… you two want to talk about?” Chloe said, trying to sound as friendly as possible, and not in any way reproaching them. She was very calm. The cigarette had helped. She knew there was an explanation to all of this.

"Girls, I'm not going to pretend I understand what you two have been going through. Liz... you know the story about your momma and me doing weird stuff, so I'm not going to point fingers and start assigning blame. It's kind of late, and I understand if you don't want to talk right now."

Both girls looked at each other, and then at Chloe. They said nothing.

Chloe sighed again. She understood though, the answers would come soon enough. She got up and proceeded to walk towards the exit. David was now talking on the phone. Chloe pretended to be disinterested but intensely followed the half of the conversation she was able to hear.

"So she's fine? Sure, don’t worry. Nothing? Not a word? Mmmh. Yeah. Of course. Well, keep me updated. Bye.”

“Anything interesting, David?” Chloe said, nearly startling her stepfather.

“Mihiel and Birmingham. They've spoken to Mrs. Hampden. After visiting the house, they took her to the police station for questioning. Basically, she just cried uncontrollably all the way through. She's been put in a secure location for her own protection.”

“What?!” Chloe almost screamed, alerting just about everyone in the building. "I knew it. It's true, isn't it? What did he do to her?"

“Chloe, calm down. We only have shreds of circumstantial evidence. Whatever scenario you have in your mind, you may well be right, but we can't do anything if we can't conclusively prove anything. It would be a he said-she said situation.”

_David's right. This Kristi girl is the key, though. If I can get her to talk. I mean, she just nearly killed herself for some reason. It has to be what I think it is. She looked terrified at the prospect of having to go back. I only wonder precisely how far the abuse has gone..._

Chloe knew they were on the clock. Surely by now Eliot had found out his wife had been questioned by the detectives. The rat might feel cornered and could start lashing out at other people. This needed to be dealt with, quickly.

“David, we need to go home. Eliot will suspect things by now. We can't stick around here any longer, we have to go home. _We. Need. To. Move.”_

David nodded in agreement. "We'll take our car, and we'll have the girls' car towed later. You better be the one to break the news to them. They might not like to hear it."

Chloe turned back to the manager's office where the girls were still sitting.

“H-hey girls. I know the two of you are not going to like it, but we have to go. C’mon, let’s go.”

Chloe reached for Liz's hand, but Liz evaded her mom's attempt at physical contact and moved her chair backwards.

“Where are we going?” Liz questioned, whilst gathering all the will she had to not stumble on her own words.

Chloe saw how Liz placed herself slightly in front of the other girl, in a protective manner. Chloe briefly considered literally dragging Liz along even if she didn’t want to, but quickly decided it would be an extremely bad idea. Chloe could… _feel_ something here. Something she didn’t want to break. Liz obviously had strong feelings about this girl. As strong as the motherly instinct that Chloe herself had.

Chloe knew she had to tread carefully. "Liz, we can't stay here. Your momma misses you a lot, and she's worried sick. And you know I can't bear seeing Rachel like that. And I also can't bear seeing you like this."

She observed Kristi shaking her head, and she could overhear some of the words her daughter's friend was mumbling. _"No... not going back... not to him... please don't make me. I'm so scared. He'll kill me."_

Liz looked towards Kristi, who was obviously scared at the prospect of returning to where they had fled from. Chloe was briefly lost for words. But then an idea popped into her head. She would bluff and hope the girls wouldn't call her out on it.

"Listen, Liz, Kristi. I'm not blind, I know something has happened. Kristi, I know you don't want go back to him, and I give you my word that you won't have to. You can stay with us for the time being. Me, Liz, Rachel, Billy and my stepdad will protect you. I swear we won't let anything happen, alright?"

Chloe observed the two girls looking at each other. Would they willingly come now she had made them this promise? A promise she wasn't sure she could keep, but she had to do something.

Chloe continued. Once again she tried to make it sound as if the speculation within her own mind was an established fact, which it probably was, but they all knew there was no slam dunk evidence. "I won't let him hurt you again. My stepdad, right over there, he's an ex-cop, he can help us with this. He's got friends of his on the case, they talked to your mom, she told them everything."

Now that was not just a bluff, but something Chloe knew to be an outright lie. Kristi's mother hadn't really told the detectives anything.

"W-what?"

Chloe looked at Kristi, desperate for any sigh that her bluff and her lie of convenience were working.

"S-she... talked to the police? She told them everything?"

"Yes", Chloe lied again. "We are going to help you and your mother. Like I already said, he won't hurt you ever again. All that's needed now, is for you to confirm the things your mother told the detectives."

Kristi turned to Liz. "We have to do it. We have to go back. We can end it... my mom..."

Chloe witnessed the scene progressing. _Gotcha_ , she thought to herself. The bastard was going to go down hard. The girl would talk, and then they would get her mother to talk as well. Chloe couldn't resist gleefully rubbing her hands at the prospect of Eliot going to jail. Afterwards, Chloe would ask for forgiveness for having used deceit as a means to get the girls to go back with her.

Liz and Kristi both got up and embraced. The embrace soon escalated into a kiss. Chloe tried to make herself invisible, being frozen in place, worried that any movement of hers would disturb the scene. This kiss... it was something else altogether. Shades of the kiss that she had shared with Rachel that magical evening after the play. Something about apples falling none too far from trees.

Chloe managed to sneak out of the room without being noticed, or so she thought. It was time to call Rachel anyway.

_"Hey Chloe?"_

"Rach, David and I have some news. We f---"

Rachel interrupted her wife, guessing what had happened.

_"What? You f-found them?"_

"Yes, they are safe, Rach. Safe and sound, and healthy. More or less."

Chloe could hear her girl sob on the other end of the line. She listened carefully and was able to decipher most of the words coming from all those miles away.

_"Oh god... Chloe... I'm so happy... I'm crying right now..."_

"We'll be back early in the morning, we're going to leave any moment now, right after we arrange everything, like for example the damage..."

_"Uh... what damage, Chlo? What happened?"_

"I'll explain when we return home, Rach. It has something to do with a door that I unlocked applying a little more force than you would usually do with a door..."

_"Chloe, are you hurt?"_

"Nah, I'm fine. But be prepared to receive us. Not just me, David and Liz, but that girl Kristi too. I think I cracked the case. It's as bad as I thought it was. We will need to talk to the police and also Mrs. Grant at Blackwell. Don't worry too much right now, I'll be back in your arms soon, angel of mine."

_"I can't wait for that, babe. Also, I can't wait to hug Lizzie again."_

"Rach, is Billy there?"

_"N-no... I think he's at his girlfriend's place. He'll be back later tonight."_

"What? Did he leave you alone? I told him not---"

_"Chlo, calm down. It's alright, I said he could go. I'm fine, especially now."_

"Alright, just don't tell anyone about the whole situation, right? We don't want Eliot to have any inkling of what is going to go down. Anyway, sweet dreams, darling."

_"You know I will, now that I will see our little girl again. Kisses and hugs! See ya soon!"_

…

Hours later Chloe, David, Liz and Kristi were on the road back home, having managed to stuff all their belongings in the vehicle. They had arranged for Kristi's car to be towed later, for the hotel to be reimbursed for the damage to the door and the glass and everything else.

Chloe sat in the passenger's seat of the car and looked in the rear-view mirror. The two girls were asleep, and in a tight embrace. Déjà vu all over again, Chloe thought to herself, recalling the tight embrace she and Rachel had shared when they had returned to the Price residence after their own lengthly elopement. Liz and Kristi had not been away nearly that long, but now Chloe felt she understood what her own mother had gone through. Maybe another apology was in order.

_"What are you thinking of, Chloe?"_

David's question woke Chloe from her thoughts. "Nothing much... just the past."

"You've done really well, I'm very proud of you. Your mother will be proud too. It must be a weird feeling for you, to be on the other end of this kind of an episode."

Chloe wistfully looked out of the car door's window. "Yeah, it kind of does feel weird. Especially when there were times I never thought I'd get to this stage, having a family of my own. Now it seems so normal, having a partner... I mean a wife who loves me and will never leave me, and I'll never leave her. Time sure flies, doesn't it? Our kids are just a year or two from maybe leaving the house... it's gonna be a strange experience."

"I never had kids", David answered. "Well, apart from you, as a step child. And I guess we didn't take much to each other in the beginning."

"That's putting it mildly... I guess I just missed my dad and I couldn't cope. I thought mom was discarding his memory. Of course, she was not, but I was at an age where you don't think things through. So, I had my empty meaningless rebellion. These days, not a day goes by where I don't thank whatever gods may be for Rachel showing up and saving me."

"You and she have something special going on, you were practically inseparable. Your mom was worried at first, because if it ended up not working out with Rachel she was afraid you might... well... you know..."

Chloe briefly looked in David's direction. She knew what he was talking about. The bitterness and anger about her dad dying, her best friend leaving town and all those assholes at Blackwell telling her that Rachel wasn't serious about her and would ditch her at some point as the piece of trash she was. But they had all been wrong. Chloe and Rachel... the odd couple... they had lasted... they weathered every storm. Now they were bonded for life.

For a few years Chloe had suffered a recurring nightmare. It always started with a furious storm destroying everything on Arcadia bay, then a few flashes of what looked of Chloe’s own funeral, all being viewed from a 3rd person perspective, then a long piece of what looked like herself spending time with a teen version of Max. And then, she waked up. Sometimes it variated from time to time, but she remembered the one which included Rachel’s funeral.

Chloe vividly remembered that one particular morning, she had woken from the nightmare, and Rachel had still been asleep. Chloe had gotten dressed and, on a whim, had gone out and bought an engagement ring, quickly returning to their small apartment and immediately getting on her knees to her girlfriend who was still wearing her nightgown. _"Rachel Amber, will you marry me?"_

The law student had been stunned for a few moments, and then said yes. She and Chloe embraced and kissed practically most of the rest of the day. Chloe's mom Joyce had cried tears of happiness upon finding out, David had been quick to signal his complete approval.

The Ambers had been a different story, Rachel's father James had looked at them as if seeing water burn. Stepmom Rose tried to balance being happy with being concerned. But eventually, they made their peace. James had even attended the funeral of Rachel's birth mother Sera Gearhardt, the woman with whom Chloe and Rachel had spent a few weeks during their elopement.

"Do you want me to take over the driving?" Chloe asked David, looking to find something to distract her from all those memories of the past.

"No, I'll be fine. I've weathered worse situations. It's still a few hours but we'll make it. Just try and catch some sleep."

Chloe didn't question the suggestion, and closed her eyes, leaning back into the passenger's seat. Briefly she looked back at her daughter and her _friend_. They looked so peaceful, still asleep. Good. They would need it. Soon after, Chloe was snoozing as well.

…

“Chloe” David shouted a bit too loud, shaking her stepdaughter with his right arm and driving slowly with the other.

All what he received was a grunt and a muffled mumbling. Chloe was never happy when someone tried to wake her up. “Chloe, we’re close”, David said, this time whispering, but still loud.

In that moment, Chloe remembered in which situation she was. It was early morning and she was in the passenger’s seat, along with her daughter and _that other girl_ on the backseat. It could have been a hilarious scenario, if the situation hadn't been so serious.

Chloe got up and opened her eyes, evaluating the environment around her. From the passenger’s seat, she could see the always familiar scenery. Beach, salty-smelling air and a sinister breeze. The cloudy weather seemed to have been following them since Idaho.

“Chloe, get ready. Wake up the girls” David said, in a tone that Chloe mocked often.

“Yes, sergeant.”

In other times, that word would bother David. But now was not such a time. He had gained an even greater admiration for Chloe considering how she had acted during the _crisis_.

Chloe tilted her body a quarter to her back, enough to be able to reach and shake her daughter softly. Liz was heavy-sleeping just like Chloe did often, so waking her wasn’t an easy task. Even less so when there was no time to stretch and grunt on a bed.

“Liz, wake up. C’mon dear” Chloe whispered, not wanting to wake the other passenger. But the effect of her action was the opposite of what she intended.

“ _Huh?_ ” Kristi mumbled, letting the words escape from her loose lips in a whisper. “ _Shit”,_ Chloe thought to herself, but quickly acting to try and use this situation to her advantage, mostly to try and see… _something._

“Sorry Kristina, I was trying to wake Liz. She inherited the heavy-sleeping from me. Would you…?”

“U-uh, S-sure…”

“Thanks” Chloe said, placing an apologetic smirk on her face.

Kristi turned to Liz, with both arms embracing and a smile on her face. Kristi was having trouble trying to not think about the kiss they gave each other on the---

_W-wait…_

Kristi realized something. Both Liz and Kristi _kissed_ each other _on the lips_ in front of Liz’s _mom._

_“ShitShitShitSHIT!... s-she… must know. I need to talk with Liz about this. But first, I need to wake her…”_

Liz’s face was dangerously near Kristi’s own, but she tried to not think about that. Kristi tried to lift one of her arms, trying also to push Liz away in a gentle manner. Liz proceeded to shake Kristi's body as softly as she could.

“Uh, Liz? Wake up, pretty please?” But all Kristi got was some groaning in response. Chloe tried to suppress a laugh and pretended not to be paying attention.

Kristi had noticed that Chloe was casually peeking towards the backseat pretty often, moving her eyes from the road to the rear mirror for short spans of time. No longer than a few seconds, maybe, but still.

Kristi had an idea. She waited for the perfect occasion when Chloe wasn't watching and then she would try to sneakily kiss Liz _on the lips_. As far as she remembered, one kiss worked on her to wake her up. In the meantime, waiting for the right moment, she tried shaking Liz's body a bit more, waiting to see if anything worked.

When Chloe _finally_ looked away, Kristi placed her free hand on Liz’s left cheek, and gave her a quick and silent peck on the mouth, her lips not wanting to retreat. It lasted longer than it should have, but for both girls, even if one was barely awake, it always felt like the shiniest and most electrical thunderbolt of life they could have.

“U-uh, Kris…ti?”

“O-oh. H-hello Liz.”

Chloe talked from the passenger’s seat. “Hey Liz! I asked Kristi to wake you up, hope you don’t mind…”

Liz looked at Kristi, smirking awkwardly at her mom and Kristi. “No… I don’t mind”. But she was aware of what they had been doing, and didn’t care about what anyone thought of it. At least for now.

“We are pretty close to home, dear. Your momma is waiting in the living room, she is anxious to see you. That’s what your brother Billy just texted me.

“That’s… good, I guess” Kristi said from the side, trying to display the best of the smiles she had reserved for such situations.

“It is”, Chloe replied, “Kristina, we’re going to go to our house first. After that, we need to go to the police station. Your mother is already there.”

“What about my…”

“He’s in school, and he seems to be unaware still. I heard that he didn’t go back to his house last night, so he might not suspect anything yet.”

“ _Yet…”_ Kristi said, in a pessimistic tone.

“Don’t worry kiddo. We're gonna be there before---”

David’s phone started to buzz, the vibration contrasting on the plastic of the car’s board. He took the phone and gave it to Chloe.

“Who is it?” David asked, eyes fixated on the road.

Chloe looked at the screen, and recognized the number.

“It's the detectives”. Chloe took the call, placing the device against her right ear.

“Hello?”

“ _Mrs. Price? We weren’t expecting you to answer, but I guess it doesn’t matter. Mrs. Hampden has been asking if we knew where her daughter was. We haven't told her yet.”_

 _“_ What? Why are you keeping the poor woman uninformed _?!”_

_“In case that the news spread from here. We don’t know what might happen.”_

_“_ Tell her that we found her daughter and we're bringing her in.”

Kristi was hearing everything being said, listening carefully. Liz felt the trembling sensation of Kristi's legs, with her feet kicking the car floor impatiently. Her hands were pressed together between her thighs.

Liz looked at Kristi. “ _Hey”._

Kristi looked back her, focusing her attention on Liz. The other girl displayed a smile and moved her hand to find Kristi’s own. Liz squeezed gently and whispered at her.

“ _You’ll be fine, I swear, we will keep you safe.”_

Kristi only gave her an apologetic smirk, calmed, not betraying how she really felt. Desperate, anxious, nervous, scared. Scared of what could happen next. Scared of the consequences of their _adventure_.

Suddenly, Chloe turned back to Kristi and addressed her. “It seems that the detectives didn’t tell your mother that we found you. Fucking….”

Kristi, already aware of the situation, acknowledged what Liz's mom was saying. “I-it’s… fine.”

“Hey. You’re very strong, kiddo, I recognize that…”

“We’re close people. Get ready…” David said, calmly.

Both Liz and Kristi started to see the more residential and suburban part of Arcadia Bay, both feeling a little gloomy.

How do you explain to your family that you ran away with a person because her father abused her and she is in… _something_ … with you?

It must be hard.

…

As the car pulled into the driveway, Chloe saw Rachel and their son Billy coming from the house. Rachel ran towards the car, Billy followed her, as if he was her bodyguard.

Chloe wasn’t ready to see her wife’s puffy and red eyes from crying. It always made her feel impotent in every way.

Rachel stopped near the sidewalk, at the separation between the grass and the pavement. Ready to see her baby again. But reality forced her to admit to herself that she wasn’t ready. Not even close.

Inside the car, both Liz and Kristi sat quietly. It was one of the first times that Liz saw Kristi displaying a blank expression. She wasn’t looking to the sides or anything. All she was doing was... staring. Staring at the ground, just looking, getting lost in it, trying to disappear.

Liz tried not to scare the poor girl, touching her forearm slowly.

“K-Kris…?”

The other girl suddenly woke up from her catatonic state, answering with a mildly heavy exhalation, as if she started to feel calm moments after a big surprise. Or a big scare.

“I-I know you don’t… want to…” Liz swallowed the lump in her throat and continued. “… b-but we need to go. My momma's waiting…”

Kristi simply nodded, placing her hand on her mouth to suffocate any whimper that could escape unintentionally. She felt how her eyes started to make tears, but she didn’t want to show them, so she killed them with the sleeve of her jacket.

“L-let’s go” Kristi answered in a sad sounding tone.

She placed her hand on the door handle and pushed, subtly. She opened the door a little bit and immediately felt the tempered breeze from her home town. She pushed the door a little more and was able to see the pavement and a pair of feet in leather boots lined with what looked like fur. As she started to look upwards, she noticed a pair of skinny jeans, along with a white t-shirt and a woolen jacket with flannel pattern. But it was a certain detail that gave her the full information. The distinctive bright, blue pearl on her left ear.

_Liz’s momma, Rachel._

Rachel didn’t wait for the girl to come out of the car. Au contraire, she embraced the girl with both arms, resting her head on Kristi’s own. It wasn’t her daughter, but she wouldn’t forgive herself if she didn’t show this other girl some affection after all she went through.

As they broke the embrace, Rachel spoke.

“How’re you kiddo?”

“F-fine… I… guess…”

“G-go inside the house Kristina. Liz's grandma Joyce is cooking something, she must be happy to see her best employee again…”

Rachel let Kristi go, but couldn't help notice the lack of emotion on her face. Cheering her up wasn't gonna work for now.

Liz emerged from the other side of the car. Her face was expressionless like Kristi's was. She stopped dead on her tracks when she saw her momma.

Rachel ran towards her, not caring about anything else. Her little baby was safe again, in her arms, with her. Lizzie was beautiful like that first moment back in the hospital all those years ago, Rachel recalling the very moment she had been handed her bundle of joy by the doctor who helped with the birth. Almost immediately, Rachel started to cry, the sound muffled by her daughter’s jacket.

“M-momma… d-don’t cry… I-I’m… so, so sorry…”

Liz started to cry as well, more softly than her mother. She didn’t plan on crying, or being physical with her mother, but she was speechless. It was a destroying sensation, as she realized how much had been broken.

_Momma’s crying because… me. Everyone’s has been damn worried because… me. I… really messed up everything didn’t I? At least… Kristi’s gonna be safe. Once and for all…_

Rachel tried to control herself with all of the willpower she had left in her body. Even if she always wanted to keep her daughter safe at all costs, there was always the minimal possibility of finding her daughter in a bad situation or in a bad place, and the thought was consuming her.

When she finally got back to breathing calmly, she let go of her daughter, but still accompanied her to the house. Chloe was just staring at the scene, resisting the temptation to join in on the reunion. David was talking to someone on the phone, supposedly ‘ _not important for now’_ , like he said to Chloe. She didn’t care about that. Her family was now on her mind more than anything else.

///

Inside the house the mood was that of extreme relief. Plenty of teary eyes were visible. Billy, Liz's older brother was not crying, but still anxious to learn what had happened, yet relieved that his sister was safe, as was his classmate. Joyce was all tears and happiness with both girls, despite the situation. Chloe took a second to breathe and escaped to the backyard, moving the sliding doors and trying to close them behind her, hoping to enjoy a well-deserved cigarette. But before she was able to fully close the doors, a boot from a _certain wife_ stopped the door in its tracks, obviously signaling that Rachel wanted to go outside with Chloe.

Rachel didn’t close the door completely but immediately pounced towards her wife and kissed her right on the lips, deep and slow, closing her eyes and keeping her jaw still with one hand, not caring about anyone. They were more than used to these displays of affection. When their lips parted, Rachel spoke in a low tone.

“I _love_ you Chloe Price.”

“I love you too, Rach, but what’s that kiss for?”

“For… bringing our little girl back home, safe and sound. And for dealing _that bastard_ , Eliot.”

Rachel once more placed her arms around Chloe’s neck.

“He's still out there, Rach. We don’t have enough evidence yet. I lied to Kristina to bring her back here. I told her that her mother told everything to the cops, but apparently, she really hasn't said anything yet. But the fact that I managed to convince her to come with us confirms everything with me. Not with the legal system, but as far as we're concerned. We have to get Kristi to tell the detectives about what _that bastard_ did to her, then her mom will talk too. Just to think I once more or less dated him makes me sick.”

“Don’t worry. I’m sure that everything will be alright in the end. Billy told me that if needed, he'd round up his football buddies to help us protect the girls. Eliot is not going to hurt her again.”

“ _Chloe! Where are you?! It’s important!”_

“Isn’t that David, Chlo?”

“I guess so?” Chloe untangled herself from her wife and once more went through the sliding door. Within seconds, she was in the kitchen. Chloe then saw her step-father look at her with concern on his face.

“Chloe, you should take the call.”

“What’s the matter?”

“The mother isn’t telling anything until she sees her daughter.”

///

Upstairs, in Liz's room, both Liz and Kristi were resting on the floor, looking at the ceiling, with their heads together.

There was a deafening silence in the room, and only breathing could be heard. Breathing and maybe thoughts.

“We… did make it pretty far didn’t we?” Kristi said, in what seemed to be a surprisingly positive tone.

“Yes… very far... considering it was our first road trip…”

Liz was trying her best to bring more cheer to the conversation. Kristi's mood seemed to be swinging wildly from one minute to the next.

“… And now we’re at square one again…”

“N-not totally Kris… t-the… thing with your father…”

Silence was the only thing that came as an answer. Silence lasting quite some time before Kristi continued their talk

“L-Liz… in the hotel… when I tried to…”

Liz knew what Kristi was referring to.

“Y-yes…?”

“I… didn’t want to… _leave…_ without leaving you… some _kind_ of message…”

“Y-you don’t have talk about t-this right now. W-we can do it, maybe… later…”

“N-no. I-I want to tell you this. I didn’t want to leave you alone… but I didn’t want to come back. To come back _here_. I don't mean your house, but this town. I’d… I'd decided I really preferred to live in the air than… going back to hell…”

Liz was quiet. The situation in Kristi's home might well have been worse than she had thought, worse than Kristi had ever told her before. She didn’t want to cry, but she felt a weird sensation, the desire to comfort this girl.

This girl she practically considered to be her girlfriend. She wanted to _help,_ even if it took forever, she was determined to do so. She wanted to take care of Kristi's problems as if they were her own. She wanted Kristi to be the safest person on the whole planet, even if it meant sacrificing herself. What was this feeling? Surely it was a lot more than just a regular friendship. Liz realized she had already answered her own question.

“A-anyways, we can ---”

“ _Liz, Kristina, come downstairs!”_

Liz raised her head slightly looking to the room’s door. She didn’t want to, and she didn’t know Kristi’s opinion, even if she could already tell the answer, but Liz knew for sure that there were things that they had to do. They had to listen, compensate for everything that had happened and above all, ensure it would never happen again.

“ _We_ need to go…“ Kristi said in a bitter tone.

“Yes, it sounds important…”

Kristi suddenly stood up, fixed her messy clothes and walked to the door. Liz followed her, in a slower pace. Kristi opened the door and allowed Liz to go first, closing the door behind them. Both girls went downstairs shoulder to shoulder without saying anything.

As they reached the living room, they saw the front door opened with David’s car visible outside the house. Chloe suddenly appeared, running towards the kitchen and grabbing her jacket from the corner of a kitchen stand.

“Mom?” Liz asked, trying to find out what was happening. It was two hours since they had come back home, and the house was once more buzzing with activity.

“Liz, where’s Kristina?”

“Here I am” Kristi said quietly.

“Ok, listen. This… may sound a bit rude and very sudden, but we need to… go to the police station. Your mother wants to see you.”

Kristi's heart stopped. It was happening. It _was_ real. She would be face to face with her mother, but this time, none of them would need to worry about a drunk father and husband at the dinner table, or an abusive one who locks his own daughter in her own room demanding she keep silent.

She wouldn’t need to worry anymore. Her mother would be safe. She would be safe. Everything would be fine from now. Probably. If Liz's mom was being honest.

“Can I… go with her?” Liz asked, not wanting to leave Kristi alone in this moment.

“I’d prefer you to be with your momma Liz, sorry kiddo.”

“I’ll be fine” Kristi said, trying to calm Liz. “I'll be back, I promise, I love you.”

“Be safe…” Liz sounded a bit disappointed but determined to make the situation work.

As Kristi walked to the front door, she turned and flashed Liz a smile, trying to comfort her again. Liz did the same with the exact same motive. Comfort.

Millions of thoughts where flying around in Kristi’s head, but only one resonated strongly. _Her father_. She didn’t want to talk about him, or even hear about him. But if her mother already said everything, she would have to be strong. For her mother. For herself.

///

“Where’s my daughter!?” Janet Hampden shouted from the waiting room to the office where the detectives were sitting. The woman was losing her patience. She has been questioned by the two detectives, yet in the moment she couldn’t remember their names.

“We’ve been advised that your daughter is coming here right now” detective Birmingham explained. Janet Hampden scowled and breathy-laughed. They had been telling her this since at least four hours ago. Yet this this time, they said ‘right now’ instead of ‘in about an hour’ or ‘in a few hours’. Maybe she should just trust them. But as the detectives had learned, her trust wasn’t an easy thing to gain.

She inhaled and exhaled slowly, trying to take the last comment from the detectives seriously. _Maybe_ they weren’t lying now, but just _maybe_.

“…Do you… know if she’s alright…?”

“We don’t know. You’ll be able to catch up with her in a few minutes.”

“… fine...”

Janet lifted herself up, just to sit back on the other couch, a much longer one. One where she could probably lay down on. Despite all the things she was thinking about in that precise moment, her hopes were silently up for her daughter’s appearance. Even if the detectives had lied to her to gain time, she was gonna see her precious daughter again.

Then, another thought passed through her mind. The promise she made to the detectives a few hours ago. Would she say… everything? Would she just simply throw everything she had away for the sake of her daughter and herself? What would happen after? Where they would live? _How_ they would live?

What would happen with her husband, Eli---

_Wait. Eliot…_

The woman looked at the clock on one of the room's walls. It was almost one o’clock. The time that Eliot sometimes returned home to eat. Janet realized she should have the lunch ready.

_No. No No. NoNoNO. I need to leave. I need to go to the house… otherwise he will hurt Kristi… he’ll hurt me… Kristina…where are you?_

Janet got up quickly and moved to the door in a glimpse, but in blind panic pushed rather than pulled the door, which consistently refused to budge. She starting to repeatedly knock on the door. First it was normal knocking, then it progressed to loud punches on the door.

“I NEED TO LEAVE! LET ME LEAVE!” Janet kept trying to push the door which was still not giving way.

From the other side of the door, Janet could feel a force pushing into her, and she used all the strength she had to try and block whoever it was from coming in, belatedly realizing the door opened inwards, not outwards.

“Mrs. Hampden, we need you to calm down. Your daughter is coming, I swear. Just… calm down and let us move you to the interrogation room to talk. Nothing else.”

She kept pushing the door back, still managing to keep out whoever it was trying to get in, probably those two detectives. Then, she thought that maybe the best way to escape the police station was to feign being obedient and just do what the detectives said.

She stopped pressing against the door, and allowed it to be opened. She faced the two detectives and one officer in dark blue uniform.

“Are you alright Mrs. Hampden?”

“I… need to leave. I need to go to my house. M-my husband is waiting for me.”

“No, he isn't. You need to stay here until we get to the bottom of everything. The problem in your life.”

“Which problem? T-there’s no problem in my life. I'm happy with my husband.”

“That's not what we think. And also, we found multiple unpaid traffic tickets. You have to remain here until it is all solved.”

“W-what? W-we pay everything?! What tickets? My husband doesn't break the law.”

“Just come to the interrogation room. We’re going to solve this peacefully.”

Janet didn’t have anything to say. She knew she couldn’t fight two trained detectives as well as that other cop. Running was out of the question, so she accepted her situation. She was escorted to the interrogation room. The room was painted in a clear-gray tone with a cold metallic chromated table and two pairs of plastic chairs. It was far less comfortable than the waiting room had been.

Detective Mihiel moved a chair so Janet Hampden could sit and he sat himself opposite of her, placing a file on the table. He swiped between the pages, causing curiosity and anxiety for Janet. His ocean-deep blue tie was reflecting on the table, creating an almost blinding figure.

Then, suddenly, he closed the file and looked directly at the middle-aged woman.

“Mrs. Hampden… you know why you are here in this situation, in this room…”

“Unpaid traffic tickets?”

“No. Your family issues. We know what's been going on.”

_Perfect._

Janet kept pensive for a few seconds before she could generate an answer.

“… L-look. M-my life is not something I talk about freely. Aside, I-I don’t know what all of this has to do with my daughter's disappearance…”

“Mrs. Hampden. Janet, if you'll let me. Do yourself a favor. Do your daughter a favor. _Tell us what he did to you.”_

‘ _Tell us’_ Janet thought. ‘ _They want me to tell them and throw everything I and my daughter have away’_. To the detective, she looked clearly very scared of what was going to happen. She really didn't want to throw away the minimal stability she and her daughter had. A shelter, food. It wasn’t the best way to live, but it was something. She feared the future if she spilled the beans.

Fear of her husband chasing her in her dreams, or in real life. Tracking her and her daughter down and doing something more horrible than death. Even if death had seemed as a welcome option at certain times in her life with him. But she had never done anything. She wanted to see her daughter grow up and have a better future than she had. Although sometimes she worried she might not survive the seemingly endless abuse. But for 17 years she had been the wife he had expected her to be. The wife he wanted her to be, doing everything the way he pleased. She couldn't even remember exactly when he started to get abusive.

‘ _Tell us.’_

Janet never noticed tears forming on her eyes as she went through the memories. Memories of a newborn baby being taken to a house that looked safe, a husband that seemed so caring and loving, a father that would take care of their daughter. Where had it all gone so wrong?

 _‘It all seemed so perfect years ago’_ Janet thought, as her memory did all the work to make her cry. It was something she couldn’t help.

‘ _Tell us and get a better life for you and your daughter. We can stop the abuse. Tell us and we can put him behind bars. If you don't want to do it for yourself, then do it for your daughter.’_

Silence now ruled the interrogation room.

“Mrs. Hampden?”

…

Chloe was inside the police station with Kristi. Chloe knew smoking wasn't allowed inside, and how she and Rachel had promised each other to quit a long time ago, yet from time to time a single cigarette seemed better than a cup of water in the middle of a desert, and she still had a little bit of that old rebellious spirit in her.

Kristina was seated on a bench in the hallway, tapping her feet nervously against the cold floor, thinking, processing, trying. Chloe saw Kristi seated, visibly nervous, so she decided to put out the cigarette and walked over to sit herself down next to the girl.

As soon as Chloe sat down next to her, Kristi reacted spontaneously surprised, almost scared. When she realized that it was Chloe, Liz's mom, sitting down next to her, she calmed down again.

Chloe looked carefully at the girl, trying to figure out at least part of the complicated puzzle this girl presented, even if she knew she wouldn’t be able to do much. She relaxed and leaned backwards, suppressing a yawn with her hand, when the most sudden of questions came from the young person next to her.

“Mrs. Amber… Do you believe in destiny?”

Chloe was astonished, surprised by the question. Even if she was still struggling to fully understand the concept behind the question, she tried to answer normally.

“Y-yes, I do believe in destiny. That's how I met Rachel. Why, Kristina?”

“…N-nothing. Just a question that passed through my mind…”

“…Y’know… if you need to talk about… anything you want… you can do it with me. I’ll not judge.”

Chloe placed a hand on Kristi’s right shoulder.

“…I’ll… keep it in mind…”

_‘I’ll not judge’. Big fucking bravo, Chloe. You still need parent training, dumbass._

Then Chloe saw David approach them, holding a set of papers in one hand and a cup full of coffee in the other. Chloe just assumed it was coffee, but the smell the cup emitted was kind of weird. _Is this what cops drink all the time? It sure would explain a lot._

“Chloe, c’mere” the older man asked. Chloe got up and walked towards David, feeling a cold breeze coming through the window. The salty smell indicated it came from the ocean.

Kristi tried to quietly listen in to their conversation but both Liz's mom as well as Liz's step grandfather were just out of hearing range.

Chloe turned back to Kristi and signaled she should come. “I know it’s hard”, Chloe stated, “but it is time to go see your mother, she is right here. We can fix everything right now, be strong, not just for yourself but also for your mother”.

Kristi thought about the last phrase.

_‘For your mother’_

_///_

Just minutes later, Kristi was reunited with her mother in the interrogation room. The two embraced and hugged, Kristi unable to suppress tears from streaming down her face. It was a moment of joy and happiness yet in such a bad circumstance

After what seemed to be hours of angsty crying and silent fears, Kristi talked. Maybe for both of them.

 “We have to do it, mom. I… can't… take any more of his… his atrocities. Against you, against…me. I'll tell them… everything. I know you did so already.” Kristi said, sounding and looking way more confident than she thought she would be.

Janet, Kristi's mother, looked at her daughter with a look of stunned surprise. Detectives Mihiel and Birmingham, both present, were anxious to start taking the statements from them both. David and Chloe were observing them from outside the room, yet couldn't hear anything.

“Kristi... I-I didn't tell them yet... I thought you...”

Kristi realized Chloe's lie. But she quickly suppressed her anger and stated she was going to go ahead with it anyway. It had to end, and they could end it right here right now.

Forever.

…

Two hours later the detectives emerged from the interrogation room, where Kristi and her mother could be seen embracing each other. “We got everything, enough to bust this asshole and put him away for years to come”, Mihiel told David.

“You're going to arrest him?” Chloe asked.

“Yes, just as soon as we get judge Goodman to sign off on it. We'll be on our way in a few minutes.

Chloe looked at David and smiled. “We did it... finally we did it. Thank you so much, you are awesome.”

“You're quite awesome yourself, Chloe Amber-Price. I think you have done more to get us to this stage than anyone else. You've rescued this woman and her daughter from a domestic abuse situation. I am very proud of you and I know that your mother Joyce is too.”

As David turned to detectives Mihiel and Birmingham, and two police counsellors entered the interrogation room to escort both Kristi and her mother to a friendlier looking environment, Chloe started pondering the situation. A thought invaded her mind. Maybe it was nothing, but she needed to be sure.

She walked towards David, and touched his right shoulder, making him turn around suddenly.

“Yes, Chloe?”

“David… I have a hunch. And if what I think is true, we could really nail this thing, send him away for a long time. Though the is kind of bad, and I'm basically hoping this thing isn't true.”

“What could make him look worse than what we already know so far?”

“Trust me David. Ask the detectives if they've had Kristi medically examined. X-rays and all that stuff.”

“Why? She seems to be pretty fine, also she never mentioned---”

David brain seemed to suddenly understand what Chloe was trying to say to him.

“Wait. Are you saying that…?”

“Maybe she could have it hidden, to not worry her mother. Or even worse…”

David looked at Kristi and Janet, both seemingly happy, joining the counsellors in the police department's canteen. The opportunity of knowing a bit more of the truth was right there, but David was thinking, weren't they trying to bite off more than they could chew? They had this Eliot guy after all, enough evidence to send him away for a long time. But it would complete the picture to do as Chloe suggested, and if the results were as feared, it would add more doom to Eliot’s already bad predicament.

“Ok. I’ll see what I can do.”

“Thanks.”

David started running towards the canteen and sat down with Kristi and Janet. The mother and her daughter asked for some explanation as to why this sudden petition. All that Chloe could see was David asking and Janet just wanting to end the nasty business as soon as possible. Kristi stopped the back and forth questioning and agreed to a medical exam. Conveniently, the police department had its own limited facilities, including an X-ray machine.

Chloe started to doubt herself, was this really the right thing? The doubt didn't last long. She was desperate to make him pay, and maybe there was a little personal satisfaction in it too. Kristi and her mother wanted to be free and maybe this thing Chloe had come up with just made it a little more complicated.

 _‘It’s all for a good cause…’_  Chloe thought to herself. _‘…or maybe it is just a lie that I tell myself.’_

She wandered outside and felt the sun was hitting her face.

…

Chloe lit a cigarette, once again feeling guilty about doing so, but unable to stop the almost mechanical process that went from finding the package to lighting the stick dangling in her mouth. She would await the results of the medical exam. To some degree, she feared the outcome. Maybe she didn’t want to know the worst details. Some of her own thoughts made her shiver.

“Chloe Amber-Price?”

One of the detectives called out her name. The guy seemed very calm. Maybe it was part of his usual job to give bad news about teenagers… _shit_ or whatever it was _._

 _“_ We have the result of the medical exam.” Chloe heart stopped a bit. “We're somewhat lucky. There doesn't seem at present to be any sign of sexual abuse or any symptoms hinting at such a thing, or anything of the kind…”

_Relief._

_‘Thank whatever fucking gods out there’_ Chloe thought.

“… but there are some issues the nurse found. The X-rays confirm it”. Once back inside the building, at the detective's desk, Chloe was shown the provisional handwritten report made by the nurse. The nurse handed her the printouts of the X-ray machine.

“Here, in these dark spots, you can see diverse bruises in many places on her back and a few on her arms. At first glance, from the outside, you wouldn't be able to see them. But on the inside, the physical abuse has left its marks. From what I understand the perpetrator kicked his victim violently and this is the evidence. You can clearly see internal bruising here, here and here. There are even some marks on some of miss Hampden's muscles. Several of them can be seen easily.”

Chloe just stared at the X-rays. She was hoping her eyes were lying. She closed them, then she opened them again to see if this was a nightmare, but it wasn't. She quickly counted 28 bruises in total, a few of them seemed the size of a small coin. She addressed both the nurse and the detective.

“You… told Kristi about this yet?”

“No. We were hoping you would talk to her and her mother on our behalf, Mrs. Amber.”

Chloe continued staring almost numbly. Her mind was working overtime.

_28 fucking bruises._

_28 nights of crying…_

_28 punches to Eliot’s face._

_28 kicks to his body..._

_28 times I will..._

_28 times..._

Chloe looked at the detective and the nurse, and told them flatly that they should get one of the counsellors to discuss the results with Kristi and her mom.

Chloe left the room, furious. To anyone who would have seen her pass by, she would surely have looked as if she wanted to kill someone with her bare hands. Lots of persons knew she could probably do it. If anyone had ever hurt her Rachel, or either of their kids, there's no telling what Chloe's motherly and spousal instinct would have enabled her to do.

But in the reality that was now, she didn't think of anything more than drowning that motherfucke. Or maybe super-glue to his body to the floor and place bird's feed all over him, maybe Hitchcock's birds would peck him to the world beyond. But then again, he didn’t deserve such a good fate. And it wasn't the only idea she had.

As she walked inside the hallway, she started thinking.

_Eliot Hampden, you total and complete bastard. We have you now. To think that poor woman suffered your abuse for so long, as well as your daughter. And in a different universe, that woman could have been me. I remember you telling me that you thought we'd get married someday. You seemed so friendly at first, that was until I met Rachel and you couldn't take it. But you need to know I was never your girlfriend, never. No matter how many times you took me to see concerts or movies. And to think, I even let you fuck me that one time. The very thought disgusts me to this day. And your daughter’s bruises, you will pay for this…_

Chloe balled her fists, and was filled with a frightening determination. There was still time, the detectives were still in the police building, and had to get their warrant signed. She could beat them to it.

A wicked smile appeared on Chloe's face, visible only to herself as she looked into a window. _I'm gonna get you, asshole. I'll teach you a lesson you'll never forget._

The blue haired woman looked around. She saw that neither David nor the detectives were paying attention to her. She saw David's car keys just lying there on a table. How convenient, just like in the movies. Quickly, she grabbed them and rushed to the exit. As she entered David's car, she strapped herself in. Then, she started the engine. She gripped the steering wheel tight, cautioning herself to save her anger for something... or rather someone who really deserved it.

Next stop, Blackwell.

…

Chloe stopped at Blackwell’s entrance, already imagining the cold floor Eliot would be tasting the moment he would hit it with his face. It was a happy image to think about.

She parked her car and walked Blackwell's grounds. Some things had changed but there was still a certain familiarity towards the whole place. There were teenagers from every age and style milling about, some wandering from here to there, some lost in thoughts, some couples paying attention only to each other. It was a good reminder of old times with her now-wife Rachel, they had never shied away from public displays of affection. But it was a shame that certain _men_ dared to tramp this hallowed place.

Chloe smirked when she remembered once considering school worse than hell.

_One of the devils escaped from hell, I guess… and now he was here._

She pushed one of the main doors and entered the building’s hallway. It was filled with more kids, more teenagers. If it hadn't been for her face betraying her, her blue hair might have caused some to confuse her for just another student. A skater perhaps.

Chloe’s task was simple. Localize Eliot and beat him ‘til he can’t get up. _To death_ was a thought in progress, but as bad as he was, maybe that was a little bit too much. He had to live and suffer. Suddenly, a thought came to her. She headed to the principal's office. Mrs. Grant, her old chemistry teacher, having been principal for a number of years already.

She opened the door to Mrs. Grant's office and saw her with two parents and their son. Fancy looking people. She addressed the younger lady she assumed was Grant's assistant.

“Uh, sorry to interrupt, I would like to talk to Mrs. Grant” Chloe said, peeking inside from the door.

Mrs. Grant pre-empted her own assistant and cheerily welcomed the former pirate queen of Arcadia Bay, now mother to two of Blackwell's students.

“Hello Chloe! Come in, we were about to finish this report.”

“Sure…”

Chloe went inside Mrs. Grant's room, the familiar place she spent so much time in back when a certain _Wells_ was still principal. She stood near the door, on one side of the room with her hands behind her back, in a military-ish posture. She didn’t want to talk with anybody aside from Grant, so she shifted her head back and rested it on the bookshelf. From her closed vision, she could hear a handshake and several feet heading past her towards the office door. It opened and closed, leaving the two women alone.

“How nice of you to make a social call, Chloe... “

“Sorry to disturb you Mrs. Grant, but this is important and I didn’t want to ruin their perfect clothes with my style.” Chloe said, opening her eyes and taking a seat on one of the chairs confronting Grant’s own.

“Beautiful as always” Mrs. Grant said, in a sarcastic tone whilst she signed a bunch of papers.

“Anyway, here’s the point. I have… several reasons to believe that Eliot Hampden is an abuser. His wife, his daughter...“

Mrs. Grant stopped signing and looked at Chloe.

“Chloe… Are you serious? “

“I’ve never been surer of anything, Mrs. Grant”

“Do you…  realize that this is an extremely serious accusation towards one of our most respected teachers? “

“Yes. I do. And I'm serious about it.”

Mrs. Grant looked Chloe directly in the eye, reclining on her chair to think about the implications of this situation.

After what seemed to be years, Mrs. Grant called Eliot via the speakers that could be heard in the building.

“ _Professor Eliot Hampden, please come to the Principal’s office immediately.”_

“Thanks. Really.

“I’m still concerned, Chloe. How did you get to this conclusion? “

“It’s a long story, really, but I better wait for him to come so he can hear it too.”

Chloe knew what she was going to say to him in maybe less than 30 seconds from this particular moment. She was ready.

A few minutes passed and suddenly, there he was. Eliot Hampden. The guy she used to hang out with for a brief few months _before Rachel_.

Eliot entered the room, and stopped at the sight of Chloe.

“Well... who do we have here? Chloe Price, you never cease to try and scare me, do you? “

“Tell us, Eliot, why’re you scared? I didn’t say anything. Unless my presence is enough to scare you.”

Mrs. Grant was getting impatient. “Kids, cut it down. We’re here to discuss a much more serious accusation involving you, Mr. Hampden.”

“What’s the matter, Principal Grant?” Elliot said. Mrs. Grant wasn't sure but suddenly there seemed to be a certain discomfort visible in Eliot's whole demeanor and posture.

“Mrs. Amber-Price told me about the things she learned in the last few days, involving your family. There seems to be some supposed police evidence that you’re a part of a familial problem... so to speak. A problem involving...”

Mrs. Grant ended the sentence, leaving a blank space for Chloe to fill in.

“... your wife and daughter.”

Eliot stood there, coldly quiet and firmly looking at Chloe, his mind working hard, and him not wanting to betray anything about his thoughts. What was it that this meddling woman had on him. Then it dawned on him. His thoughts were interrupted by Mrs. Grant.

“You have something to say, Mr. Hampden?”

“T-this… t-this is... u-unacceptable! Who do _YOU_ THINK you ARE to be TALKING ABOUT MY FAMILY LIKE THAT, PRICE, YOU BITCH?!”

“Calm down Mr. Hampden! No one has accused anyone here... yet!”

“NO, SHE--- SHE IS POINTING AT ME LIKE AS IF I WAS AN ABUSER AND I’LL NOT ALLOW THAT. I WANT YOU TO THROW THIS MEDDLESOME TRASH OF A WOMAN OUT.”

Eliot was shouting. Mrs. Grant was stunned. Chloe suddenly got tired of the lies she was hearing, and got up and walked towards the little scared girl this guy was. Or maybe the little scared guy, because Chloe planned on showing him that one particular blue haired _girl_ wasn't afraid of him at all, quite the contrary.

“Listen to me, worthless piece of shit. I know what you've done. Your daughter and wife told everything to the police. I was there, after I escorted that poor girl there. You've been punching and kicking this kid for seven years or even more and being a complete bastard to a poor woman who thought you were here knight in shining armor. All they want is peace. So be responsible for one time in your life or I swear to god that not even the paramedics will recognize you after the 28 punches I’ll apply to your ugly face.”

Eliot waited no longer. He shoved Chloe back towards Grant's desk, turned around and started running. Chloe fell to the ground but saw the fear on his face. The fear of being chased down. She knew where he lived, so even if he escaped, it would only be temporary. Such a promising situation he found himself in, a clearly insane middle-aged woman out for his blood.

Chloe didn't even acknowledge the pain from hitting her head against Grant's desk. She didn't care. She quickly recovered, got up and started running after him. Mrs. Grant made a feeble attempt to stop her, and even tried to say something, but Chloe was unable to hear it due to the massive amount of adrenaline in her body.

Eliot was running towards the main exit, pushing kids and tackling everyone in his way. Chloe emerged from Grant's office, right behind him, with a visceral anger visible on her face. Some of the teenagers in school seemingly anticipating the spectacle to come. The chase was already in progress. She knew she might find herself on the local news bulletin that evening.

Eliot stormed through the door. Chloe was only seconds away from him. Eliot knew he couldn't make a mistake, but as was his luck he had failed to spot this young man who suddenly but not deliberately blocked his path. Eliot bumped into the kid and nearly stumbled, losing speed.

This was Chloe’s opportunity. She quickly closed the gap between them, using every last bit of willpower she had to gain speed. GOTCHA! She lunged at Eliot and succeeded in grabbing one of his legs.

She held on tightly as he tried to drag her across the concrete. It didn't work, he had to face reality. Very well then, he was going to teach her a lesson. But he was not prepared for what happened next. Chloe quickly lifted herself, and despite her shaking legs and agitated breathing landed a punch on Eliot's face.

That first punch left Elliot disoriented, and Chloe piled on. Two, three, four and so on. After a few more, Chloe was starting to feel the adrenaline rush. The satisfaction of doing what she had wanted to do for years. Seven, eight, nine, ten. Eliot's nose was bleeding, and maybe broken, who could tell. Chloe showed no sign of slowing. Rachel would often refer to her wife's passion as the Berserker Emotion. Of course, that was different, as it involved some steamy hot sex. For Eliot, there were no hopes of anything of the kind. Chloe was giving him the treatment.

Despite being given no change to regain composure or indeed vision, Eliot attempted to throw a punch or two, hitting her on the left side of her abdomen. Chloe felt it, it hurt really bad. But she didn't recoil. Her mental count was up to 14. There were 14 hits left she promised herself to give him. Maybe he would be dead by the moment she finished. No one would care, maybe. She certainly wouldn't.

Chloe did briefly caress her arm, but refocused on the task. The pain would have to wait. Eliot was frightened and started to look for a way to escape. But a ring of students blocked his path. By now it seemed that _half_ of those who dwelled the Blackwell grounds were witnessing whatever this was. Girls looking especially excited at this blue haired woman teaching the _boring_ teacher a lesson for some reason. Boys were tremendously impressed, and a few even seemed to recognize her as _Billy's mom_.

Eliot knew there was no way out. His blurry view was overwhelming his senses, and the metallic taste of his own blood was giving him reasons to fight her to death.

He was wobbling on his own legs, but defiantly addressed Chloe.

“T-that’s… THAT’S _ALL_ YOU GOT, PRICE? WHAT'S THE MATTER? RACHEL MAKE YOU SOFT?”

“COME AND FIND OUT, YOU WIFE AND DAUGHTER BEATING SCUMBAG!” Chloe shouted, with many of the students witnessing the fight seeing her devilish grin.

Chloe adopted her fighting pose, ready to give the last 14 hits remaining. Eliot, having no choice, tried to ready himself.

The kids were mostly cheering Chloe on, but much to the dismay of many, two police officers appeared with taser guns, ready to fire.

“This is the police, hands up! Both of you!” Chloe saw one of the tasers aimed at Eliot. If only she could disarm that police officer and taser that bloody sucker standing in front of her.

The other officer was pointing his taser at Chloe, so she had to give up her task. She raised her hands because she didn’t want to taste the feeling of 50k volts passing through, tensing her muscles and all what came along with that.

“Mr. Mrs. You are both under arrest for disturbance of the peace, assault and battery.”

The other officer quickly added to the charges. “Mr. We also have a warrant for your arrest in a matter we hope is not connected to this”

Many of the kids started wandering off, as the officers booked Eliot and Chloe and started to read them both their rights.

“Yeah, yeah…” Chloe murmured, still remembering the words from years ago.

Chloe got escorted to one of the police cars with a loud siren doing its annoying work. Eliot was being supported towards the ambulance that had also arrived, a doctor already checking his nose.

 Chloe felt proud of herself. At least she had managed to smash his nose in. It was the least she could have done.

Once she was seated in the police car, Mrs. Grant approached the vehicle’s window and, shaking her head, addressed Chloe.

“You want me to call Rachel?”

“I guess I’ll do it myself once they get me to the police station. Gotta have some responsibility.”

“Fine, I guess. You know you’re probably going to be on the local news tonight?”

“No biggie, I've been there before. Guess I'm going to be a celebrity.”

The two officers talked to each other. The last thing Chloe heard one of them say. “Ok then, take her away.”

“C’mon…”

Chloe realized she'd be back where David was very soon. She would have some explaining to do. And to find a way out of this mess. ‘ _It’s going to be a long night. Hope they'll let me go soon... mitigating circumstances and all that.’_

The sun started to disappear behind the horizon.

The cold breeze could now be felt inside the police car. Felt though everything.

And everyone.

…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kash_LOL:  
> Thanks a LOT to all the persons who are still here after the big delay we had from chapter to chapter.  
> Also, you may (or may not) noticed that there is a 5th episode. That will be an epilogue to complete the full history with a deserved ending.
> 
> ANYWAYS, thanks a lot.
> 
> My tumblr in case you want to follow me, I know you dont want to but meh: https://monsterinhouse.tumblr.com/
> 
> Emcee tumblr (the beautiful person that helped me to make this :3) : (Emcee: I removed the link because it's not really updated anymore)
> 
> Emcee:  
> Anyway, Kash thank you for the collab. You did most of the writing, I did some of the polishing and stuff. I just loved the idea of Chloe and Rachel being able to survive and start their own family, and with their own kids (particularly the daughter) going through some of the same things they went through. Shows you how sometimes from generation to generation little changes. And I definitely imagine Chloe as a badass mom who is super protective of her babies (and their friends).
> 
> Edit: March 12th, 2019: For now it seems that the epilogue/chapter 5 is not a go, but who knows eh?


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